Conn fights for a healthy lifestyle

January 31, 2012 • By Piers Rim '12  
Filed under Features

            Senior Brandon Conn has accomplished an incredible feat over the summer. He lost a whopping 40 lbs. He adjusted his diet and took part in a strict training regiment for boxing.

            His diet modifications weren’t anything complicated. All he decided to restrict was the quality of the food and when he would eat. For example, he said that he wouldn’t eat after a certain time, and he would only eat food choices that were healthy (chicken, turkey, fruit, vegetables, and yogurt).

            The training wasn’t so easy though. He would go three times a week to a gym in Pennsauken, and he would do warm-up preparations that included many different calisthenics and plyometrics. Following that, he would spar with other members. “It was truly a humbling experience,” said Conn. “I didn’t realize how much technique is required for boxing.”

            Some people see boxing as a sport where two brawn-no-brain men step in a ring and beat each other senseless. Conn believes otherwise. “It’s a thinking man’s sport as well as a way of staying fit and being healthy,” said Conn.

            Boxing proves to be more than what meets the eye. Conn said that it is a sport that calls for style, technique, and wit. It also calls for dedication. However, what he put into it was gained through the results. He lost a lot of weight and his training relieved a lot of his stress.

            To Conn, it’s only been six months since he began, but he has become quite the athlete. His only drive was his want to lose weight and to stay healthy, which later turned into an addiction to the sport itself.

            His skills were naturally there, but ever since he began to seriously box, they have gotten better. “He was always somewhat good at fighting,” said Daniel Riley, 12^th grader. “He’s from Philly, what do you expect?” Skills like, hand speed, power, agility, foot work, and body evasion have become sharper for Conn.

            Attire, for boxers, is regulated strictly. It provides the fighters with a sense of protection and security. Attire may include but not limited to: 14-16 oz gloves, boxing shoes, a cup, a mouth guard, hand wraps, and head gear.

            Conn has yet to fight an opponent in the ring, but is eagerly waiting and preparing for that time.

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