FITNESS Calzaghe challenges children to get fighting fit

Joe Calzaghe MBE, CBE has created an online non- contact boxing programme called Calzaghe Mini Dragons designed for all children between the ages of 4 and 14 years old. Joe Calzaghe and his two sons Joseph and Connor have joined forces with two physical activity experts Rob Oyston and Alex Lock of Sports Xtra. Together they have created a unique fun non-contact boxing programme that is aligned to the school curriculum in the United Kingdom.

Calzaghe Mini Dragons run free online live sessions on their Facebook page, every Wednesday at 4pm. The public launch of Calzaghe Mini Dragons is Wednesday 17th June at 4pm.

Calzaghe Mini Dragons is a non-contact boxing programme that has already been rolled out in both public and private schools across Wales with over 1,000 children taking part in these after school groups. It was launched as a legacy programme a year after Joe had lost his beloved father Enzo Calzaghe MBE.

Calzaghe Mini Dragons had just signed agreements to roll the programme out across some of the toughest boroughs in London prior to the COVID-19 pandemic hitting the United Kingdom.

Joe Calzaghe MBE comments below on why this programme is important to him.

“I wanted to honour my late father and trainer’s wish to roll out boxing as a non-contact sport in schools. He wrote about it in A Fighting Life his autobiography. “I think bringing boxing back into schools would be a wonderful idea and I would love to be involved in boxing at an amateur level. To have the chance to work with some future Olympic champions would be a dream, but I have no idea if it will come to fruition.” Enzo Calzaghe MBE, A Fighting Life Autobiography, Chapter Smiling Again)

He wasn’t one to do anything by half …and neither am I. “This is why Calzaghe Mini Dragons was created to honour my dad and to build a legacy business with my sons and our business partners that helps many generations to come.

I know first-hand that boxing is unbeatable in combating bullying, increasing attendance rates, focus, discipline, managing mindfulness, mental health, mental fitness and building children’s self-worth and wellbeing.

Also being able to reach out and engage those that reject school PE activities and had more complex needs.

I knew that many boxers and boxing enthusiasts had tried to get boxing into schools as a non-contact sport and hadn’t been able to get it accepted for various reasons. Therefore, I knew that the task would be challenging and that it was important that we worked closely with the education authorities and teachers to create something that would have real positive impact and longevity.

Myself and my two sons joined forces with Rob and Alex from Sports Xtra and we worked for over a year to create a unique programme which is aligned to the curriculum.

Then COVID-19 struck and we have decided to offer it on Calzaghe Mini Dragons Facebook page completely free of charge every Wednesday at 4pm and for this fight… I’m even putting my gloves back on to challenge Calzaghe Mini Dragons … and to help the future generations and their parents to stay fighting fit with some epic challenges!