Boxing. Not exactly the first thing that comes to mind when you imagine the academic grandeur of Oxford University, but it has nonetheless ended up becoming a huge part of my experience here. I must admit, though, this was in no way out of design. Having kept myself busy at home in my local Muay Thai gym, I knew upon arriving at university that I would make a beeline for one of the combat sports, however I started boxing merely out of curiosity, half expecting to move on after a couple of sessions. Clearly this was not the case; despite boxing having the reputation of being one of the toughest university sports around I loved the challenge, and was soon spending most of my free time in the gym.
I met a whole range of diverse, interesting characters during my time training, which probably sounds somewhat counterintuitive given we spend most of our time punching each other. Nonetheless my discovery of the sport was one of the highlights of my first term, and culminated in my being selected for the annual training camp in Tenerife over the holidays (an opportunity I was able to take thanks in part to a very generous funding from Brasenose). The camp was tough to say the least. We started every day at 7am with an 8km run, and trained twice more daily in an esteemed local boxing gym working on strength, fitness, and sparring technique. We even met a couple of continental and world champions, as well the British Olympic sprint team who were also training nearby. The highlights, though, were the two days we travelled 2000m up Mt Tiede, the world’s third largest active volcano, before completing a further 13km run. Due to our starting early in the morning and above the cloud line, we could view the sunrise over the clouds surrounded by the beauty of Tiede’s national park. It was truly awe inspiring to behold. The camp was a great bonding experience for the team, bringing us all together through the hardship of our training, and while by the end there wasn’t a muscle in my body that didn’t ache the accompanying sense of accomplishment was certainly worth it.
While the camp certainly felt hard, it was upon returning to university where things really shifted up a gear. With the annual Varsity match against Cambridge approaching, I was adamant I’d try and make the team. This, though, meant committing to eight training sessions a week, week in week out, while still trying to keep on top of a now increased academic workload. What’s more, upon being matched in a preliminary bout to gain some much needed experience, I was forced to undertake a strict diet to lose enough weight to compete. The evening of the bout came, but unfortunately due to nerves and a timidity I can only put down to lack of experience I lost on a close decision. I was disappointed, but vowed if given another opportunity I would make up for it. After the bout I was almost immediately back to training, and yet more dieting which, in combination with the dark, cold winter, began to take its toll. There were a few times I was tempted to quit completely, return to nights spent going out with my friends rather than early mornings on the track, but as the Varsity date loomed, and I was told of my selection for the squad, I told myself I had to see it through.
The atmosphere on the evening of the match itself was electric, with 700 people packed under the ornate, vaulted ceilings of Oxford Town Hall. Before I knew it I was in the ring, staring across at my opponent, and when I heard my name announced the whole crowd erupted into cheers. I have never been so nervous, so full of adrenaline, in my entire life, but as the bell sounded instinct took over, leaving the details of the fight itself a blank in my memory. Upon the closing of the final round, I felt unimaginably exhausted, but as the scores were read out the judge raised my hand in victory, and I was awash with one of the greatest feelings of joy I have ever experienced. We went on to defeat Cambridge overall, chalking up another victory in Oxford’s long Varsity history. The overall experience was gruelling, but also incredibly rewarding, leaving me with a memory I will carry with me long after my time at university.
By Theo Cox (1st Year Philosophy, Politics and Economics student)
Boxing is just one of the hundreds of optional sports and hobbies that students are able to take up during their time at Oxford University. Some Clubs and Societies, such as the Boxing Club operate as a University-wide organisation, while many others are found at the collegiate level.