From Curiosity to Commitment: Duane’s Journey of Transformation

Angela Banks

January 24, 2025

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Sometimes the best discoveries are the ones you never intended to make.

In December 2023, Duane never thought he would find a second home away from home. Driving around his city, he noticed a block of small businesses on a street he had never been on. His curiosity led him to the end of the road and saw a sign for Fight into Fitness. 

He went in, talked to the owner and the rest was history.

The Start

Everyone has their own starting point with their fitness journey, and it’s key to remember that everyone’s path is different. Duane is not new to fitness since he is retired military. Being in the military conditioned him early as he needed to stay fit on a yearly basis.

In addition to the conditioning workouts Duane was used to in the military, he was an avid basketball player and would run 5 days a week year round.

But as time moves on, life changes as well as goals. Duane wanted to lose about 25 pounds. It wasn’t just about the weight loss, but about being able to feel confident in his surroundings due to his day job. Duane deals with stressful situations due to being employed on Capital Hill and boxing would give him the opportunity to learn self-defense techniques. 

The Journey

While Duane achieved fitness goals in the past, this was different because it wasn’t just about staying in shape, it was about overall health and well-being. According to Duane, boxing allowed him to focus his stress and energy into a specific skill set. 

He had to learn and commit to a different type of fitness which pushed him further and further. Learning something new is not easy and sometimes you have to re-train your mind and body to unlearn aspects you were accustomed to in order to overcome a challenge.

Duane’s biggest challenges being new to boxing was learning how to control his natural instinct, being aggressive, controlling his mindset on learning the new skills and then adapting how to utilize his strengths. He had the athleticism but still needed time to adapt to the newness of boxing. 

Over time Duane prevailed over his challenges. He leaned into the coaching staff and committed to being a student. As adults it can be challenging to feel like a student again, but as C.S. Lewis said, ”You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream”. 

Duane said one key thing that others need to remember.

 “Respect the sport of boxing”. 

If you aren’t familiar with boxing, it not only provides athletics with athleticism and skill, but you learn discipline and control, strategic thinking like in a chess match, resilience, and more. 

And Duane did just that. He was diligent, patient and stayed committed and consistent. And a year later, he is still showing up and putting the work in at Fight into Fitness.

The Insight

Boxing offers a powerful combination of physical and mental benefits. While it has positively impacted Duane’s physique through weight loss and encouraged healthier dietary choices, its greatest impact lies in stress reduction and mental clarity.

For Duane, boxing is a crucial outlet for the pressures of Capitol Hill and the daily DC commute. But it also helps him foster sharper thinking, improve focus, and have greater confidence in challenging situations.

And with the extra weight loss, that boosted his confidence to be able to handle anything that came his way. Did I mention he works on Capital Hill?

The Future

Although Duane has met his current goals after being consistent with boxing for the past year, his future goal for boxing is to maintain his weight loss. He went from 215 lbs to 185 lbs and wants to stay in the 180 range by staying consistent and coming to class 2-3 times a week. 

He feels led to help others learn and be aware of boxing, be inspired and enjoy this part of fitness.

If you are new to boxing, listen to Duane’s advice if you want to start your boxing journey: 

• Be Patient
• Be Committed
• Enjoy the Process
• Maintain Consistency
• Set Goals
• Work the Goals 

Want to meet others like Duane and start your own journey with boxing? Stop in and take a single class at Fight into Fitness. You’ll also get a chance to meet the coaches and fitness gym members like Duane so you won’t be alone. 

Start now and see what change you’ll see this time next year. Sign up today!

A special thanks to Duane for taking the time to share his journey with our readers.