LITTLE CHUTE (NBC 26) — By day, he’s a mechanic. By night, he’s giving children a second chance with boxing.
- A Little Chute mechanic runs a free boxing gym for kids in his shop’s back yard
- Former pro boxer Nick Maher teaches Olympic-style boxing, covering travel costs for tournaments
- 13-year-old Zyonne Frank Reed says the gym changed his life, leading him to win a national championship
(The following is a transcription of the full broadcast story, with additional details for the web)
Hands covered in grease, a parking lot covered in oil, and a boxing gym in the backyard of a car shop.
Coach Nick Maher says that’s all he needs to make a difference in a child's life.
“There’s no money involved. I don’t want your money,” Maher said.
A former pro boxer himself, Maher once had Olympic aspirations. Now, he’s using his skills to teach Olympic-style boxing to kids across the Fox Valley. He even pays for it all out of his own pocket.
Maher estimates he spends around $65,000 of his own money keeping the gym going and free for his pugilists.
All he asks for in return is for his kids to work hard and for their parents to support them—and the kids who may not have parents to support them.
“I’ll even pay for the gas. I’ll take you to any tournament you’re eligible to go to, but the one thing I do charge and I hold you to it, is your hard work, your dedication, your commitment,” Maher said.
For 13-year-old Zyonne Frank Reed, that commitment has already paid off.
“It kept me out, from like, doing bad stuff. It taught me how to think different,” Reed said.
After winning the National Silver Gloves Championship, Reed handed his coach the title belt.
“He brings me his title! He says, ‘Coach, you can have this one. I’m going to win a lot more of them,’” Maher said.
Reed says Chuters Boxing Gym has changed his life.
“My future is to become… to go to the Olympics, you know?” he said.
But beyond the championships, Maher’s goal is simple: inspire. That impact goes beyond just the kids.
“I try to come as often as possible, and I try to contribute in any way I can," says parent Raul Davila. "But what Nick is doing, what Coach Nick is doing, is something amazing."
Maher says Chuters Boxing Gym remains completely free for kids to join, but he’s looking for bigger partners to step in to help keep it that way.
More information can be found on their Facebook.
