Abandoning his comfort zone, our apprentice Phil Smith challenged himself by entering the boxing ring for a charity fight.
Phil Smith, one of our apprentices based in the Newcastle office, had no idea what he was letting himself in for when he casually showed an interest in “White collar boxing”. A suggestion from a friend as a way to get fit, Phil found himself signing up for an 8-week training programme culminating in a charity boxing match.
The main attraction of boxing for Phil was that it was a challenge incredibly far from his comfort zone. By nature a pacifist, always settling his disputes in a non-violent way, this would be a completely new experience, but one Phil was excited to take on.
On top of the physical challenge, Phil had a personal connection to the cause he’d be raising money for. Phil’s uncle had sadly passed away and he had been a strong advocate for Cancer Research, for which the Ultra White Collar Boxing organisation had raised over £10 Million.
After 8 weeks of mandatory training twice a week, with added training sessions to make sure his fitness and skills were the best he could achieve, it was time for the actual match. No amount of training could prepare Phil for the experience of entering the ring, where having been given the second last match of the evening Phil found he was exhausted before it even began, “By the time my fight started it was already 11.20 and I was so tired, my legs turned to concrete! Thankfully, the moment I stepped into the ring, with the four ropes surrounding me and just my opponent facing me I was entirely focussed on what I had to do. It was great to hear the few hundred spectators and my friends shouting encouragement but all I could think about was my training and what I had to do.”
Unfortunately for Phil, the result didn’t go his way, but the disappointment hasn’t clouded what was a transforming experience, physically and mentally, “It was great to know I had raised £550 for a great cause while getting fit and overcoming challenges in fitness and in my mindset. I’d definitely do it again.”
Invotra was incredibly proud to act as Phil’s sponsor for the event, and of Phil’s achievements. Find out more about how Invotra strives to ensure corporate responsibility on our community page and view some of the achievements of other amazing Invotra staff. Discover more about the Ultra White Collar Boxing organisation and their fundraising events here.
