Punches were thrown, sweat flew and though most of the students at Shaquille’s Boxing club were exhausted by the middle of their early evening practice, they were on their way to becoming better boxers, and more purposeful individuals, thanks to Jackie Wilson.
Read the story written by Tampa Bay Times reporter Jack Evans here:
ANGELIQUE HERRING | Times Wayne Wright, 16, lands a punch as he practices boxing throws with Shaquille’s Boxing Gym coach Larry Thorogood, left, on Monday, June 24, 2019 in Brooksville. Whether they come for serious training or just go to hang out, the gym gives kids a place to be. Owner Jackie Wilson, as a former lost kid in the gang-riddled Jersey City, sees the gym as a chance to give kids the same sense of purpose and stability he found through boxing years ago.
ANGELIQUE HERRING | Times Jackie Wilson, owner of Shaquille’s Boxing Club, wraps a students hand before boxing practice on Monday, June 24, 2019 in Brooksville. Once a successful amateur boxer and before that, a lost kid in the gang-riddled Jersey City, he credits boxing as his salvation. He now sees the gym as his own chance to give kids the same sense of purpose and stability he found years ago.