Chauncey Shaw spent his entire childhood at DBG. After 13 straight years attending the Downtown Boxing Gym, he calls it his “home away from home.”
“Coach Asiya (Tamika) is a second mom to me and Khali is a father figure to me,” he says. “They taught me to never depend on others for something I can do myself, to always stay calm and to advocate for myself. I love DBG and boxing – a lot would have been different for me without DBG.”
Click this link to watch a video about Chauncey.
Through DBG, Chauncey received a scholarship to attend De La Salle Collegiate High School, an all-boys Catholic school in Warren. The school strives to “help create exceptional young men centered on education, respect, faith and inclusivity to positively change and impact one another, the greater community, and the future.”
“De La Salle taught me about brotherhood, how an academic facility can care about you and a whole bunch of other new things,” he says.
Before leaving for college in the fall, Chauncey plans to start an apprenticeship and become licensed in massage therapy. He’ll be attending Adrian College where he plans to study Sports Science, play football, and pursue a career in physical therapy.
Although he’s sad to leave behind his friends and familiar surroundings, he is looking forward to a new chapter in his life and a new journey.
“DBG has taught me about myself that I’m a special young man,” he says. “If I want to do something, I can do it if I put my mind to it. I plan to come back to the Downtown Boxing Gym to mentor the kids and help them with the educational part, because that is the key to succeeding.”
Congratulations, Chauncey, and the entire DBG Class of 2023 for maintaining our 100% graduation rate for 16 straight years. We can’t wait to see how you leave your impact on the world.