Kevin's Blacksburg Boxing Start-up
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Hi there, and thank you for visiting my gofundme page! I'm so grateful you are even interested in supporting my cause. Please take 5-10 minutes to read my full story, and if you are willing, please donate to support me start helping others through the sport of Boxing and share my page with your friends! If you don't care for stories, you can scroll to the bottom and see how you can help! Thank you in advance!
My name is Kevin Bowen and I am a 2011 Virginia Tech Hokie grad, 2007 Mt. Hebron Viking grad, and I have a huge passion for Boxing and Fitness!
My interest in the sport originally started back in 2011, my senior year at Virginia Tech. A friend of mine, Matt Schick who was in the ROTC at Virginia Tech, invited me to come join the Boxing Club at Virginia Tech. I had always been into fitness, but had never tried this style of training. Once I did, I was HOOKED! Boxing is unlike any style of physical and mental training you have ever experienced, as it calls on all attributes that make us, well, human. Boxing incorporates your upper body, lower body and core strength, along with INTENSE cardiovascular conditioning! It also tests your mental toughness, and pushes you to limits you never thought you had.
After graduation, I stayed in the Blacksburg, VA area, but unfortunately the Boxing Club at Virginia Tech was disbanded due to the extreme costs of liability insurance. I was bummed, but continued to find other locations where I could incorporate a Boxing style of training, but never got too serious with it. Flashforward a few years and I met the love of my life, and now wife Augusta Joy Bowen! About a year after we started dating, she graduated from Virginia Tech (December 2013) and accepted a job offer back in Northern Virginia. At that same time, I was also in the process of a change, and had decided to start pursuing my true passion of helping others get healthy and fit through personal training! That's when I earned my Fitness Trainer Certification through the International Sports Sciences Association. I also decided that my days of chasing ALL the pretty college girls around were over, and it was time to chase THE ONE beautifully amazing girl back up north. I moved in with my parents in Maryland, roughly 1 hr from Augusta and her family in Waterford, VA. The move was originally just to be closer to her, but it's my firm belief that everything happens for a reason, and my faith tells me a higher power knew exactly where I needed to be, which was close to family, and my Mom.
As those who know me, in February 2014 my world and my families world was rocked with heart-break. Not to get into too many details but for those who don't know, my Dad, George Bowen, went in for what was supposed to be a fairly routine hernia repair surgery. I'm not a Dr. and won't pretend to be, but the long-story short of it is, a major arterie was cut during surgery causing him to lose massive amounts of blood. There were additional complications with an attempted MRI which ultimately lead to him suffering significant brain damage and going into a coma-state. For the next 5 months, we traveled around roughly 6 different hospitals trying various methods of coma-emergence programs, but in the end it was not to be, and he passed that July. Those five months and the time after, were the hardest of my entire life. So, you might be asking yourself the question, how in the heck does that story fit into this Small Business Boxing start-up story? Well, truth be told, it is pretty much the catalyst of the story.
When my Dad was in his state, not only was I heart-broken, but I was upset and even down right angry, too. Everyday I would get up with my Mom, and we went to go sit by his bedside, usually 10-12 hours a day, sitting, wishing, waiting, praying. I knew I could not keep doing that all day everyday without some type of release. All I really wanted to do was punch something. So, I started calling up Boxing gyms in the Baltimore, MD area. Eventually I spoke with Jake Smith, owner of Baltimore Boxing and Fitness. Jake is an awesome guy, and really helped me out a lot. I drove to downtown Baltimore and showed up at Baltimore Boxing and Fitness to check it out. The gym there is old-school, grungie, and really just everything I was looking for. I started training there in April 2014. I would usually go to the hospital to be with my Dad in the morning, and take a break mid-day and head to the gym. Once I started, I couldn't go a day without making the drive downtown to train.
That Boxing gym became my sanctuary, my safe haven, my release from everything that was going on in my life and all the stresses that came along with that tough time period. When I was there, when I was training with all the guys, Jake, Allen, Donald, and everyone else, I forgot about everything that was going on, if only for just an hour or two. When speaking with the guys down in Baltimore, I knew a lot of them had their own struggles going on, and Boxing was a positive release for them too. I trained as hard as I possibly could, and got in the best shape of my life all while learning a new sport, building camraderie with others and releasing all that stress.
Jake also asked me if I wanted to compete, and I figured sure, why the heck not? I started training in April, and I had a fight at the end of May. I got to sparr against top amateur boxers in the Baltimore area, and even professional boxers. It was a very humbling experience. Leading up to the fight, my family and I had made bracelets that read "Faith.Hope.Love." and "Fight Like George" for my Dad. That second part became my battling cry. If my Dad could somehow still be breathing months after his tragic surgery, what the heck is 3, 2 minute rounds of a fight really? Nothing. Thats the only thing I really thought about when I hopped in the ring "Fight Like George." Within the first round I was knocked on my butt and almost knocked out. But I never stopped saying those words in my head "Fight like George"-- and eventually was able to return the favor in the final round with a knockdown of my own, and squeaked out a win via decision.I consider myself, at least for now, the Kentucky wildcats of amateur boxing in going 1 and done. But the process, the training, and the experience of the fight was amazing and something I had never felt before in my life. There's nothing like it.
I can honestly say that Boxing, coupled with an amazing wife, family, and friends, is what has saved my life and is ultimately what got me through that rough time period.
But, I know I'm not the only one in the world who has ever experienced tough times. I know on a daily basis there are people out there, maybe you, maybe a friend, maybe a relative, somebody who is struggling with heart ache, some dissapointment, depression, or maybe just frustration over their overall health and fitness. A great quote I've read is to "Be kind, for everyone you meet is struggling through something you know nothing about." And I think there is a lot of truth to that. I know that Boxing really helped me to cope with a lot of these things I listed above, and I want to share that coping strategy with others, and help them get fit and healthy!
Flash forward to present day, and my wife has just accepted a job offer back here in beautiful Blacksburg, VA! We absolutely love Virginia Tech and the small town of Blacksburg. It is my dream to open up a successfull Boxing gym here in Blacksburg, where I can not only help people get in the best shapes of their lives and have fun doing it, but also help those with real life stresses and struggles to overcome their own adversities through the sport of Boxing.
I really want to be that gym owner, that trainer, that person to help those people achieve their goals and help them in any way that I can, both inside and outside of the ring. I know by starting Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness I can do exactly that. My vision is to be able to open a Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness gym location where everyone in the community, Hokies, Alumni, young professionals, professors, members of the Corps of Cadets, fraternities, sororities, and every hard working member of this great community can come to learn the sport of Boxing. Everyone, no matter who they are, will always feel welcome at Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness. Whether or not members are just looking to learn a new sport/hobby and get in shape, or if its someone looking to compete, I want to help. Long term, I also see us eventually joining USA Boxing as an officially registered location so those who do want to compete competitively with boxing will be able to do so.
Well if you are still reading at this point, I'd imagine you must be pretty interested in seeing how you can help. So, this is where YOU come in! Our funds are very limited right now, and so I am asking you today, that if you can, please please make a donation to this cause. If you feel so inclined, please also feel to share this page with your friends on social media!!
All of the money you donate will go towards the purchasing of Boxing Equipment so my clients will have some real boxing materials to train with! I'm hopeful this gofundme campaign can help alleviate the financial stress and initial investment that it will require to purchase the Boxing Equipment necessary to start up some classes in the area and rent out an hourly location to start before we get our own place! Most quality heavy bags cost roughly $200 each, Speed bags/platforms about $150, Uppercut bags about $100, Boxing gloves $35, and jump ropes about $10.
Thank you in advance for any donation that you can make, every dollar counts so no donation is too small!!
Please share with your friends and co-workers too and God Bless!!
My name is Kevin Bowen and I am a 2011 Virginia Tech Hokie grad, 2007 Mt. Hebron Viking grad, and I have a huge passion for Boxing and Fitness!
My interest in the sport originally started back in 2011, my senior year at Virginia Tech. A friend of mine, Matt Schick who was in the ROTC at Virginia Tech, invited me to come join the Boxing Club at Virginia Tech. I had always been into fitness, but had never tried this style of training. Once I did, I was HOOKED! Boxing is unlike any style of physical and mental training you have ever experienced, as it calls on all attributes that make us, well, human. Boxing incorporates your upper body, lower body and core strength, along with INTENSE cardiovascular conditioning! It also tests your mental toughness, and pushes you to limits you never thought you had.
After graduation, I stayed in the Blacksburg, VA area, but unfortunately the Boxing Club at Virginia Tech was disbanded due to the extreme costs of liability insurance. I was bummed, but continued to find other locations where I could incorporate a Boxing style of training, but never got too serious with it. Flashforward a few years and I met the love of my life, and now wife Augusta Joy Bowen! About a year after we started dating, she graduated from Virginia Tech (December 2013) and accepted a job offer back in Northern Virginia. At that same time, I was also in the process of a change, and had decided to start pursuing my true passion of helping others get healthy and fit through personal training! That's when I earned my Fitness Trainer Certification through the International Sports Sciences Association. I also decided that my days of chasing ALL the pretty college girls around were over, and it was time to chase THE ONE beautifully amazing girl back up north. I moved in with my parents in Maryland, roughly 1 hr from Augusta and her family in Waterford, VA. The move was originally just to be closer to her, but it's my firm belief that everything happens for a reason, and my faith tells me a higher power knew exactly where I needed to be, which was close to family, and my Mom.
As those who know me, in February 2014 my world and my families world was rocked with heart-break. Not to get into too many details but for those who don't know, my Dad, George Bowen, went in for what was supposed to be a fairly routine hernia repair surgery. I'm not a Dr. and won't pretend to be, but the long-story short of it is, a major arterie was cut during surgery causing him to lose massive amounts of blood. There were additional complications with an attempted MRI which ultimately lead to him suffering significant brain damage and going into a coma-state. For the next 5 months, we traveled around roughly 6 different hospitals trying various methods of coma-emergence programs, but in the end it was not to be, and he passed that July. Those five months and the time after, were the hardest of my entire life. So, you might be asking yourself the question, how in the heck does that story fit into this Small Business Boxing start-up story? Well, truth be told, it is pretty much the catalyst of the story.
When my Dad was in his state, not only was I heart-broken, but I was upset and even down right angry, too. Everyday I would get up with my Mom, and we went to go sit by his bedside, usually 10-12 hours a day, sitting, wishing, waiting, praying. I knew I could not keep doing that all day everyday without some type of release. All I really wanted to do was punch something. So, I started calling up Boxing gyms in the Baltimore, MD area. Eventually I spoke with Jake Smith, owner of Baltimore Boxing and Fitness. Jake is an awesome guy, and really helped me out a lot. I drove to downtown Baltimore and showed up at Baltimore Boxing and Fitness to check it out. The gym there is old-school, grungie, and really just everything I was looking for. I started training there in April 2014. I would usually go to the hospital to be with my Dad in the morning, and take a break mid-day and head to the gym. Once I started, I couldn't go a day without making the drive downtown to train.
That Boxing gym became my sanctuary, my safe haven, my release from everything that was going on in my life and all the stresses that came along with that tough time period. When I was there, when I was training with all the guys, Jake, Allen, Donald, and everyone else, I forgot about everything that was going on, if only for just an hour or two. When speaking with the guys down in Baltimore, I knew a lot of them had their own struggles going on, and Boxing was a positive release for them too. I trained as hard as I possibly could, and got in the best shape of my life all while learning a new sport, building camraderie with others and releasing all that stress.
Jake also asked me if I wanted to compete, and I figured sure, why the heck not? I started training in April, and I had a fight at the end of May. I got to sparr against top amateur boxers in the Baltimore area, and even professional boxers. It was a very humbling experience. Leading up to the fight, my family and I had made bracelets that read "Faith.Hope.Love." and "Fight Like George" for my Dad. That second part became my battling cry. If my Dad could somehow still be breathing months after his tragic surgery, what the heck is 3, 2 minute rounds of a fight really? Nothing. Thats the only thing I really thought about when I hopped in the ring "Fight Like George." Within the first round I was knocked on my butt and almost knocked out. But I never stopped saying those words in my head "Fight like George"-- and eventually was able to return the favor in the final round with a knockdown of my own, and squeaked out a win via decision.I consider myself, at least for now, the Kentucky wildcats of amateur boxing in going 1 and done. But the process, the training, and the experience of the fight was amazing and something I had never felt before in my life. There's nothing like it.
I can honestly say that Boxing, coupled with an amazing wife, family, and friends, is what has saved my life and is ultimately what got me through that rough time period.
But, I know I'm not the only one in the world who has ever experienced tough times. I know on a daily basis there are people out there, maybe you, maybe a friend, maybe a relative, somebody who is struggling with heart ache, some dissapointment, depression, or maybe just frustration over their overall health and fitness. A great quote I've read is to "Be kind, for everyone you meet is struggling through something you know nothing about." And I think there is a lot of truth to that. I know that Boxing really helped me to cope with a lot of these things I listed above, and I want to share that coping strategy with others, and help them get fit and healthy!
Flash forward to present day, and my wife has just accepted a job offer back here in beautiful Blacksburg, VA! We absolutely love Virginia Tech and the small town of Blacksburg. It is my dream to open up a successfull Boxing gym here in Blacksburg, where I can not only help people get in the best shapes of their lives and have fun doing it, but also help those with real life stresses and struggles to overcome their own adversities through the sport of Boxing.
I really want to be that gym owner, that trainer, that person to help those people achieve their goals and help them in any way that I can, both inside and outside of the ring. I know by starting Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness I can do exactly that. My vision is to be able to open a Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness gym location where everyone in the community, Hokies, Alumni, young professionals, professors, members of the Corps of Cadets, fraternities, sororities, and every hard working member of this great community can come to learn the sport of Boxing. Everyone, no matter who they are, will always feel welcome at Blacksburg Boxing and Fitness. Whether or not members are just looking to learn a new sport/hobby and get in shape, or if its someone looking to compete, I want to help. Long term, I also see us eventually joining USA Boxing as an officially registered location so those who do want to compete competitively with boxing will be able to do so.
Well if you are still reading at this point, I'd imagine you must be pretty interested in seeing how you can help. So, this is where YOU come in! Our funds are very limited right now, and so I am asking you today, that if you can, please please make a donation to this cause. If you feel so inclined, please also feel to share this page with your friends on social media!!
All of the money you donate will go towards the purchasing of Boxing Equipment so my clients will have some real boxing materials to train with! I'm hopeful this gofundme campaign can help alleviate the financial stress and initial investment that it will require to purchase the Boxing Equipment necessary to start up some classes in the area and rent out an hourly location to start before we get our own place! Most quality heavy bags cost roughly $200 each, Speed bags/platforms about $150, Uppercut bags about $100, Boxing gloves $35, and jump ropes about $10.
Thank you in advance for any donation that you can make, every dollar counts so no donation is too small!!
Please share with your friends and co-workers too and God Bless!!
Organizer
Kevin Bowen
Organizer
Blacksburg, VA