by Mark Van Streefkerk
Boxing has a special connection with South End communities, mainly because it’s so much more than just a sport. The Seattle boxing scene serves many different — and overlapping — groups of people: those primarily into fitness, kids seeking an afterschool activity, youth getting away from street-involved life, women, the LGBTQ+ community, families, and elders looking to give back. While boxing gyms were closed for in-person training for much of last year, these beloved cornerstones of South End communities have recently opened back up to full capacity. If you’ve ever wondered what it’s like to don a pair of boxing gloves and learn how to throw a proper jab, now is a great time to try.
“To me, boxing gyms have been a secular version of churches: a place for people to go and have refuge … and not be judged for anything that you would normally get judged for in the world. You just come here and work,” said coach Tricia Arcaro Turton, founder of Arcaro Boxing in the Central District.
Continue reading Boxing Is for Everybody: Six Boxing Clubs Making a Difference in the South End