Eric Cheung – November 2023
Since day 1, Eric has been involved with the Contenders community. He was coming to our parties immediately, knew almost everyone by name and went out of his way to talk to anyone he didn’t know. He’s never lacked consistency in the 2 years he’s been with us unless he was away on vacation (which we think is a fair enough excuse). Eric has consistently worked to improve and taken on new challenges, and sticks around for 2 classes a day usually, and even though he hasn’t been sparring long his work ethic and prior understanding of boxing technique from his years of practice makes us just as eager to have him in an amateur fight as he hopes to be. There’s lots more to know so check out our Q&A with Eric below.
Q: What is your athletic history like?
A: I would say it is pretty typical/average. I tried a lot of different sports when I was younger, mostly soccer until my late teens, and later switched to grappling/BJJ.
Q: How long have you been boxing and what got you started in this sport?
A: I started in August 2021. I had always had a bit of interest in boxing, and I thought it would be a fun activity to do with my partner (former contender of the month herself lol).
Q: If you were to give advice to someone interested in joining boxing, what would you say?
A: Focus on having fun first, I think it is the most important part. If you have fun, you will keep going, and if you continue going you will improve.
Q: How do you stay motivated with your practice?
A: The same answer as above basically. Motivation is tricky, I am not always motivated. Half the time I don’t want to go to class because I am feeling tired or lazy, but I try to stay disciplined and focus on the fun. I have never regretted going to a class, but I have regretted missing one.
Q: What goals are you working towards with your boxing?
A: I am still working towards my first amateur fight. It would have been great to get on the Contenders Dec 9th card, unfortunately Dec is a pretty busy month with other obligations. Hopefully I can get in on something early next year.
Q: What has been your biggest take away from this sport?
A: Just how hard it can be, physically and mentally. I knew it would be tough, but some days are definitely more challenging than others.
Q: What is your favourite things about being apart of the Contenders community?
A: I love everything about the community. I could probably go on and on, but to keep it simple the contenders team have built an amazing community. Combat sports can be very intimidating but from my very first day in fundamentals I have felt nothing but support from the coaches and my fellow training partners. Classes are always full of jokes but also full of hard work. There is no ego, and everyone just wants to see each other improve.
Q: …And lastly, tell us something people would be surprised to learn about you?
A: Lately it seems people have been surprised I am in my mid 30s, I guess that is good? They also seem surprised when I tell them I have my black belt in BJJ, not sure if that is good or bad..
