3 minute read
One Bomb Boxing Gym with Stoke Eyes
ONE BOMB GYM
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"This isn't just a boxing gym, it's like a social hub for Longton...
F E A T U R E S
One Bomb Boxing Gym, in King Street, Longton, was set up by brothers Michael Giblin and Jason Watson.
Jason & Michael Boxing Event
‘ Love my brother so much our dream came true. We are doing what we set out to do and doing a great job.’
‘ We are taking kids off streets teaching them the sweet science. We are changing lives for the better. Helping men, women and children being the best they can be.’
Quote by Jason Watson
Q and A with Jason Watson
How did you get into boxing?
It was at a young age, I was being bullied at school. I walked into an amateur boxing gym at the age of 10 and never looked back.
Did both you and Michael box growing up?
Yes we did. Even though Michael is slighter younger he followed along.
What made you want to set up a community gym?
It has always been a dream. I’m always the first person to talk about and Michael is the first person to do it.
We actually started by building a shed in Michael’s back garden.
F E A T U R E S
Michael has five kids who all box. We then had parents and other children asking if they could come along. We even had a parent of a young boy who had Cerebral Palsy. He told us that no other gym would accept him. We then decided that this back garden shed was far too small.
We then opened the non-profit community gym. Our goal was to get children off the streets, off their Xboxes and to try and tackle the knife crime.
We have parents come in for a chat about their children’s anxiety, everything. Everyone is welcome!
We sometimes find that the child comes in scared but after a couple of weeks, they walk in as if they’ve always been here.
At Christmas, we asked for donations. We then turned these donations into presents. These presents were for the children in care
Michael Giblin
F E A T U R E S
What have been the struggles keeping the gym open through Covid 19?
We were shutdown whilst on lockdown. Those times were really hard. It was a difficult time and it still is. We have to adhere to certain Covid regulations. We had people helping out as and when they could.
We were very lucky, we had a lot of help from our sponsors. M&M Driveways and Stoke Eyes Magazine.
Are there classes for women and kids?
We welcome everyone. We have children that have autism and anxiety. We have women that come in for classes and we have woman that want to learn how to box. We also have men and women that come into the gym to lose weight. We also have men that are training to box and that are at a professional level. We have and accept all abilities. Everyone gets greeted, we welcome you at the door and say goodbye at the end of the session.
Do you need experience to go to the gym?
You don’t have to be fit to go and join a gym, you just need that want to do it.
F E A T U R E S
ONE BOMB GYM SEPT 2020
Pic Brian Anderson
F E A T U R E S
ONE BOM GYM SEPT 2020
Pic Brian Anderson
F E A T U R E S
Q & A
ONEBOMB GYM SEPT 2020
Pic Brian Anderson
