BEND, Ore. — From protecting the public to protecting himself in the boxing ring, Deschutes County Sheriff’s Deputy Dylan Hicks is balancing two lives.
“This is my sixth amateur fight here and I’ve primarily fought against other first responders, so this is nothing new for me,” Hicks said.
Hicks is representing DCSO in this year’s Combat for a Cause in Long Beach, Calif., raising money for Special Olympics.
“My style is just being overall prepared for anybody that I’m going against and adapting to what kind of boxer I should be,” Hicks said. “Luckily, I got good coaches around me like Whitney, who can identify those things and see what I’m good at, see what I’m not good at, and point out things like that I don’t see and things I need to get better at.”
Hicks will face off against a Long Beach Police Department member in the main event, fighting at 155 pounds.
“I’m excited,” he added. “It’s just kind of like any other fight. The cause is something that I take a lot of pride in competing in. Raising funds for the Special Olympics is an honorable thing, and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
He trains at Boxit Fitness Studio through Rocks Boxing, coached by Whitney Gomez.
“Proud of him,” Gomez said. “He really enjoyed this camp, especially the dieting and balancing aspects, which helped him manage his job, which is very demanding and has a limited training schedule. So yeah, I’m excited for him. And I mean, what better way to compete? You know when it’s for a cause.”
Hicks is trying to find a balance between his work and boxing training.
“It can be tough when you’re in training camp and you want to mix in training during your work week and still do a good job at work,” Hicks said. “But that’s why I signed up for this job, to adapt and overcome and overcome challenges and be healthy.”
Hicks will compete Sept. 28. There will be no livestream of the event.