Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club star qualifies for Paris 2024 Olympic Games

• Moss Side Fire Boxing Club member Patrick Brown has qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games
• Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service have been running Moss Side Fire Boxing Club since 2008
• The Club helps people to build confidence, self-esteem, and supports GMFRS’s engagement in the local community

Twenty-four-year-old amateur boxing heavyweight star Patrick Brown from Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club has qualified for the 2024 Olympic games in Paris, following success at the Boxing Road to Paris event in Italy.

Competing for Great Britain, Patrick was the first to seal qualification after defeating Poland’s Mateusz Bereznicki by unanimous decision in a heavyweight matchup.

Patrick lives in Sale with his family. He joined Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club in 2020, and went on to become a double National Champion. He also trains in Sheffield as part of the Great Britain Podium Squad.

Speaking after his qualification, Patrick said:

“Words can’t describe how I feel. I could cry my eyes out! I’m just showing to my amateur club at Moss Side Fire Station and Sale ABC, and the kids there, that if they keep going and work hard, anything is possible.”

Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club is a key pillar of the work done by Greater Manchester Fire and Rescue Service’s (GMFRS) Safer Communities and Interventions Team, based in the service’s Prevention department. It was set up in 2008 by three firefighters, one of whom – Nigel Travis – is head coach at the club.

Working with young people across Greater Manchester, the boxing club aims to help build people’s confidence, self-esteem, as well as their fitness and skills base. The club provides young people with a safe place and positive role models, while allowing the service to engage with and benefit the local community it serves.

GMFRS Chief Fire Officer, Dave Russel, said:

“I am incredibly proud of Pat and all the trainers and coaching staff at Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club. To qualify for the Olympics 2024 is a phenomenal achievement and I wish Pat the very best of luck in Paris.

“A special thanks goes to Head Coach Nigel Travis, who works tirelessly at the boxing club developing young people. Raising aspirations through sport enables our service to work at the very heart of our local communities. I am sure Pat’s incredible achievement will inspire other young people for many years to come.”

If you, or a young person you know, would like to find out more about Moss Side Fire Station Boxing Club and get involved, you can visit our website: Moss Side Fire Station – Boxing Club (mosssidefirebox.co.uk)

14/03/2024 09:01 AM