Blind 10-Year-Old Training to Be Paralympic Boxer: 'I Call Him the Champ'
· Yahoo Sports
Credit: ITV/Youtube
NEED TO KNOW
- Archie Hayes, born blind due to a rare retinal disease, began boxing after visiting his brother’s gym
- The 10-year-old's coach uses verbal commands and numbered combinations to teach him the sport
- Archie hopes to compete in the Paralympics one day
A blind 10-year-old boy is training to be a boxer, using sounds and commands from his coach to help him navigate the ring, in hopes of becoming a Paralympic competitor.
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Archie Hayes was first introduced to the sport through his older brother, Josh, 15, a year and a half ago. Archie, who was born blind due to Leber's Congenital Amaurosis (LCA), a rare disease that impacts the retina, said he was visiting his brother at the gym when "I got asked if I wanted to do it and I said, 'Yeah, I would like to do it,' " he told British talk show This Morningon March 30.
"He just always liked hearing the sound of the pads," Archie's father, Fred, told the show, sharing that they connected with boxing coach Andy O'Kane at Paddy John's Boxing Gym, in the English city of Bristol, to help train Archie.
As Andy shared, "I'm passionate believer that boxing is really good for young men, young women. If I'm going to live up to that, then it shouldn't be an issue that he's blind. So it's been good for me as a coach."
He's had to "learn to teach differently," Andy explained. "You can't just demonstrate the move. You have to verbally describe it as accurately as you can and then try to help him move his body — and then, it's been trial and error ever since."
Archie, he says, memorizes the combinations "straight away," adding that training him is "the highlight of the week."
Each punch — a jab, an uppercut — is coded with numbers, which Andy calls out during their sessions. And "Archie's directional hearing is phenomenal. He can zoom in on the spot … he'll throw shots, but his hands always return to a guard position" of staying up in a defensive place.
Since taking up the sport, Fred says, "His confidence has just gone through the roof. He's a likable kid and it's just nice for him to be part of the boxing club.
Although blind boxing is not yet a sport at the Paralympics, Archie is hoping to change that, Andy explained: "To my knowledge, Arch is the first lad his age to be involved in it, to be as determined as he is."
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During the interview, boxers like Sameer Khan shared messages of support: "Your story is so inspiring and I heard that you want to one day go to the Paralympics. I wish you nothing but the best. I heard you've been training very hard. When I'm back in the U.K., maybe we can do a session together."
And Chris Eubank, Jr., told Archie, "It's amazing to see that you are, you know, so passionate about the sport. Keep doing what you're doing. You're inspiring a lot of people, including myself."
As Archie told The Daily Sentinel, "I like it because it makes me really strong and powerful. Boxing teaches you to become tough." His dad agreed, telling the outlet: "I call him the champ."
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