They put their personal lives on hold for a chance at glory inside the ring.
Partying and hanging out with friends and family are exchanged for hard hours in the gym for three local boxers as they prepare for the B.C. Golden Gloves Championships next weekend at the Vernon Rec Centre auditorium.
“I just got a different job so I could be home and train,” said Salmon Arm’s Derrick Larson, who travels to Vernon at least three times a week to train with Tony Stamboulieh’s CounterPunch Boxing Club.
Larson, a 20-year-old welterweight, was working up north installing traffic signals, but found work at a mill near Sorrento so he could keep up with his training. He will join a pair of CounterPunch light heavyweights – Vernon’s Tyson Veitch, 20, and Kyle Ayotte, 26 – at the upcoming card.
Connor Holliday, 12, will battle in the junior division.
A student of the sweet science since age 16, Larson captured Golden Gloves and B.C. Winter Games titles in 2009. He believes his continual development, both mentally and physically, will give him a shot at a repeat.
“My fitness is definitely better, and when I started I was only 126 pounds so my punching power has definitely developed about 400 per cent,” chuckled Larson.
“The more sparring you do, the more you see the punches coming at you. You learn more and more the little tricks on how you take their punches down and counter. You’re always learning something.”
Larson is pumped to be battling in front of a home crowd.
“It’s gonna be great. Lots of family and friends can come and watch. You don’t have to travel five hours and be tired for your fight,” he said.
A veteran of numerous mixed martial arts bouts, the 20-year-old Veitch is no stranger to ring competition. However, he has put MMA on the back burner to focus solely on boxing.
Veitch is still in peak condition from his bout last month at the Night of Amateur Boxing card at the rec centre. His position as a track maintenance worker for the local railroad also keeps him fighting fit.
“It keeps me in shape, swinging the hammer all day. It’s a tough life working and training. I’ve got no free time at all.”
With all his experience, Veitch knows he will have to temper his emotions when he enters the ring in his hometown.
“I’m a pretty calm person,” he said. “I compose myself, so I think I’ll do well. I love fighting in my hometown. Getting to eat in my own kitchen, I can’t wait.”
A self-professed gym rat, Ayotte, 26, thrives on the fighter’s lifestyle. He began entering competitions only two years ago.
“It’s almost better than the fighting,” smiled Ayotte, who works in construction. “Anybody can get into the ring and fight, but who can go to the gym every day for hours and sacrifice everything? That’s what I love about it.
“It’s a good way to push yourself. It’s good way to test your abilities. I’m loving it. You may as well do it while you’re young, right?”
If there is one thing Ayotte has learned in boxing, he says it is patience. Where once he used to rely mainly on brute strength, he is now learning to appreciate the subtle side of boxing.
“I like to be a little more aggressive,” said Ayotte. “Sometimes I’m not as technical as I should be, but I always bring it on. It’s always good to entertain the crowd.”
The Golden Gloves, sanctioned by Boxing B.C., begin Saturday night, with doors opening at 6 p.m. Sunday action starts at 1 p.m.
Tickets are $10 and can be purchased at Breakaway Fitness (220-2801 35th Avenue) and at The Bean Scene (2923 30th Avenue).
