Luke Herries
At the Hastings Giants Boxing Academy there are plenty of incredible kids to be inspired by. One of them is 17-year-old Luke Herries, who had struggled through his teenage years before joining the academy a year ago.
Once lost and unsure about his future, Luke is now enlisting in the army, a path he never thought possible before Giant's manager Craig McDougall’s influence. “He’s a great and real growth model to me. The way he leads, his kindness, he inspires me,” Luke said. “The academy completely changed my life. It gave me self-discipline, a strong community, good influences and good leaders. It’s more than physical fitness, it’s also about mental strength.”
Luke’s father, Dan Herries, saw the transformation firsthand. “He got his glow back,” Herries said. Initially hesitant about his son joining a combat sport, he quickly realised it was not about fighting. “It was a connection, brotherhood, personal health, and just awesome mentorship,” he said. “Now Luke has realised the potential that we saw in him as a young boy. He’s a contributor to society ... and we’re awfully proud of the changes he's made.”
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Partnership with NZ Campus of Innovation & Sport
We are excited to announce a unique partnership between Champions Initiative and the New Zealand Campus of Innovation and Sport. This world class training facility in Upper Hutt, that hosts world class athletes, will now be a Champions Initiative national training base. Youth boxers from across our Champion Partner academies will come together for training camps in this outstanding high performance facility.
Logan
At the time, I wasn’t sure where I stood in life. I wasn’t happy, I barely left my house, and I was struggling mentally. I don’t know if it was the release of emotions when I cried in someone’s arms halfway through sparring, but I didn’t realize how much weight I was carrying. I wasn’t crying because I was physically in pain, but because of everything mentally. I ended up showing up early every day, excited to train hard and push myself. I loved the gym, helping the kids, and trying to get better.
Nate
Over 13 years ago there was an episode on the “Sunday” TVNZ program about Billy and the Naenae Boxing Academy – I was intrigued! I had also seen how some of the boys from school had become extremely fit and gained a really positive attitude from going to the gym. I went to sign up as soon as I could after that.
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