Monivea Boxing Club have joined other clubs nationwide in taking part in a documentary celebrating the High Five Boxing Academy.
The Irish Athletic Boxing Association (IABA ) has released the documentary to mark the International Day of Persons with Disabilities. The High Five Boxing Academy was launched in 2021 to offer children with additional needs and their families a welcoming place within boxing.
High Five Boxing Academy was initially launched by Paddy Dingle High Five across four Dublin clubs - Drimnagh, Crumlin, St Catherine's, and Palmerstown. Since then, it has been welcomed by the IABA and has become a valued member of 13 clubs nationwide, including Monivea Boxing Club.
Monivea Boxing Club, alongside Tralee Boxing Club, St Paul's BC Belfast, Drimnagh Boxing Club, and Crumlin Boxing Club, have come together to create a documentary and share how High Five Boxing Academy has enriched their clubs and strengthened their communities. The documentary was filmed and produced for IABA by E.C.
Alan Hynes is the father of a High Five Boxer in Monivea Boxing Club and said that "everyone is treated the same".
"Once they come in the door, they're a boxer, and they train.
"It's massive in the era that we're in that all kids are included. It's massive for their cardio-vascular health and just to build up a sweat, and it's great for mental health," he added.
Monivea Boxing Club's Claire Farrelly believes that providing the right environment for young children to train can help them achieve anything.
"It is very rewarding to see young people grow – the environment and the space that is there. That needs to be right for anything to develop from that. For every type of child, if they are in the right environment, they can do whatever they want to do," she said.
Gabe Cronnelly, High Five coach at Monivea Boxing Club said that "boxing is a sport for everyone".
