Meet the Coach

I was born and raised in South Africa, where life was anything but easy.  Due to challenges at home, I attended nine different schools and was enrolled in my first boarding school at the age of nine—my parents separated when I was four, and I grew up under the roof of two different stepfathers, both of whom I struggled to connect with because of their aggressive nature and values. I didn’t want to follow in their footsteps. I was also bullied at school, and over time, violence started to feel like the only way to survive. I was robbed six times—most often on my way home from school—and I often felt helpless and angry, wishing I had someone to run to.

Boxing became that outlet for me. I took up the sport to learn how to defend myself—but also because I fell in love with it. Sport was my escape, my safe place, and my foundation for building something positive when everything else felt uncertain. By age 13, I was thriving in athletics, rugby, and cross-country.  I was honoured as the Sports Boy of my school and received scholarship offers from several high schools in my region to represent them in sport. That was when I discovered the joy of achieving something through discipline and passion—something no one could take from me.