August 2021 – Harris Allan
Our fabulous contender of the month for August is Harris Allan. Harris has been a consistent member with Contenders now for the past couple of years, and will speak as to how Contenders has always encouraged him to be his athletic best, and how that too has integrated into other areas of his life. Check out our Q&A with him below.
Q: Had you done boxing prior to joining Contenders?
A: I had done a lot of hand pad work with a personal trainer, casual heavy bag work at the gym, and a little kickboxing.
Q: What made you want to join Contenders?
A: My best friend Andrei wanted to get into boxing and asked if I wanted to join together. I hadn’t boxed for a while and missed it so we joined up.
Q: Which is(are) your favourite class(es) at Contenders and what do you like about them?
A: I lean toward the lunch-time training camp classes because I feel like I can get an insane workout and still stay sharp on the fundamentals. I also love the beginner boxing classes to focus on boxing technique and learning new skills.
Q: What is your boxing/fitness goal you are working to achieve this year?
A: I want to gain some muscle and feel more comfortable with movement and defense. Eventually I want to try some sparring.
Q: What is your weakness in boxing/fitness you would like to improve?
A: Footwork, balance and speed.
Q: What/who inspires you to continue training? What kept you going during the pandemic?
A: Exercise improves my mood and quality of sleep. I’m also an actor so it’s critical for me to stay in shape. The team at Contenders are welcoming and their passion for boxing is contagious. Being surrounded by the instructors and my classmates through the entire pandemic was fun, uplifting and a great focus of my energy. It gave me some consistency and lots of laughs during a volatile time.
Q: What is your advice for people who are thinking of starting boxing at Contenders?
A: Honestly start today. The crew is supportive and hilarious. If you’ve never boxed you’ll feel comfortable learning and if you have boxed before you’ll be challenged.
Q: What do you like to do in your free time other than boxing?
A: I write and produce my own music and play a lot of golf.
Q: Please tell us something about you that a lot of people don’t know?
A: I’m going to be an uncle in September and I can’t wait!
