Every year for the past decade, Spokane Boxing Gym LLC has grown a little bigger, drawn a little more attention, and pulled in students from farther afield. For owner Rick Welliver, the numbers matter less than witnessing and being part of the transformation of many of his students.<\/p>\n
\u201cService to others is the rent that we pay to occupy space here on this planet,\u201d\u00a0Welliver says. \u201cYou don\u2019t want to do that; you\u2019re just wasting time.\u201d<\/p>\n
Spokane Boxing Gym is located at 115 S. Jefferson,\u00a0in downtown Spokane. Inside the 4,000-square-foot space, athletes from diverse backgrounds train alongside one another. On any given day, a police officer might trade rounds on the heavy bag next to a teenager from juvenile court, while a retiree works out next to a college kid who drove in from Pullman, Washington. Refugees, young professionals, and people in recovery all find their way to Spokane Boxing Gym, drawn in less by competition than by community, Welliver contends.<\/p>\n
As a Spokane native who grew up in the Hillyard neighborhood, Welliver, 52, is attuned to the struggles of working-class youth and views his business as a vehicle that can level the playing field, giving everyone who walks through his doors the chance to rebuild confidence, discipline, and purpose.<\/p>\n
Welliver says he keeps membership affordable for the gym’s 75 members; those in recovery can pay with sobriety chips. The gym also has contracts with juvenile courts, Excelsior Wellness, Crosswalk Youth Shelter, Morning Star Boys\u2019 Ranch, and Daybreak Youth Services.<\/p>\n
Among the boxing gym\u2019s success stories is that of 21-year-old Yakobo Mleha, Welliver says. As a child in Tanzania, Mleha broke his lower leg, but he never fully recovered, leaving him with an S-shaped shin. When his family moved to the U.S., doctors at Shriners Hospitals for Children worked to straighten and mend his broken tibia, followed by extensive physical therapy.<\/p>\n
About four years ago, Mleha discovered boxing and, under the tutelage of Welliver, has officially entered the sport as an amateur. Last month, he competed in the Pendleton Boxing Classic tournament, hosted by the Pendleton Boxing Club, in Oregon. Mleha returned to Spokane a champion, winning both of his fights during the two-day event.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s stories like these, boosted through social media platforms, that have spurred further interest and attention in Spokane Boxing Gym, Welliver says.<\/p>\n
\u201cBoxing is the rare sport that changes lives,\u201d Welliver says. \u201cBoxing not only builds character like any athletic endeavor would, but boxing more than anything reveals character. And it shapes people. It\u2019s quite magical. Boxing can give strength to the weak, confidence to the shy, and make your kid feel like they can do anything in the wide world. How many other sports can do that?\u201d<\/p>\n