Christopher Roberts walked into DBG as a 7 year old boy. Today, he’s walking out as a young man with college plans and dreams of a career as a digital content creator. Click here to watch a video about Christopher.
“My experience was special because I got to grow up with the gym,” he says. “[The original DBG location on St. Aubin] used to be so small and so much has changed. I love being around to see the little kids now and their growth. It reminds me of me.”
Boxing was Christopher’s primary focus when he started at DBG. In 2017, he was working his way up the ranks as a youth boxer. He made it to regionals undefeated, then experienced his first loss. He remembers how his coaches and friends supported him and lifted him up during that tough time.
“Greg [a close friend] and I cried together that night,” he recalls. “My coaches used that as a time to teach me to use my loss as a lesson to train harder to come back next year and win.”
A competitive young man, driven to succeed, Christopher eventually shifted his focus to academics. He says he and his friends compared report cards at DBG from time to time, which inspired him to spend more time with his schoolwork.
“I remember when I was younger, I didn’t want to do my homework, I wanted to train,” he says. “In the long run, DBG kept me disciplined and focused on my goals. We all kept each other motivated.”
In June, Christopher will graduate from Detroit’s Southeastern High School with plans to attend Central Michigan University to study advertising. His goal is to learn the storytelling and production skills needed to begin a career as a content creator. His fascination with content creation, streaming, and online influencers came from watching early vlogs and podcasts that later turned into a passion.
“One thing that Khali and the boxing gym has taught me to help me in life? The number one thing is to be myself and education is everything,” he says. “If it wasn’t for the Downtown Boxing Gym I don’t think I’d be the person I am now.”
Congratulations, Chris and the entire DBG Class of 2023 for maintaining our 100% high school graduation rate for 16 straight years. You are the reason we do what we do and your DBG family looks forward to supporting you through this next big chapter.