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[5]By Katie Coleman
BELLEVILLE – Warren Hunton thinks boxing is the greatest sport in the world. He grew up during the sport’s prime and was awed by the athleticism and discipline needed.
That’s why he finally decided to start boxing in his forties. He originally started boxing to lose weight and get in shape. He found that he loved participating as much as he loved watching the sport. He excelled and began developing his coaching skills.
It was by chance that he fell into a coaching position. At the club he was at when he started, the coach had to leave town so Hunton and one other student took over the coaching, he said.
All of this led up to him starting the Quinte Bay Boxing Club in early 2012. QBBC is currently located within the John Howard Society building just off of Moira Street West in Belleville.
Hunton does a lot of work with the John Howard Society. This includes working with the Quantum group. This is a group of at-risk youth that get skill-based training with educational and personal support. Hunton provides the Quantum group with boxing training for free.
“It gives them the opportunity to try something different,” he said.
Hunton loves coaching.
“It’s very exciting to see a guy come in and doesn’t know too much about boxing and then take him through the paces. You seem him get better conditioned and see him improve technically,” he said. “That’s very rewarding.”
Erin Rose has been a student of Hunton’s for about three months.
“He’s very patient, but has high expectations so you want to work hard to make him happy. He’s perfectly balanced and he inspires you and motivates you to do better,” she said.
Looking ahead, Hunton hopes to keep the club at the John Howard Society.
“I want to keep it going. I have no desire to let it go. We’re going to keep it going and get as many people as we can interested in boxing.”
He hopes that one of his students will eventually take over the club as his protégé.