The Newcomer

Hi, I am Robert Brant from St. Paul MN and I have the privilege of representing the U.S.A at the youth world AIBA tournament in the light heavyweight division. I am coached by Larry Goodman, Emmitt Yanez, and Donte Rivera out of the White Bear Lake Golden Gloves gym.

I would have never imagined being this far in the sport of boxing last July when I began boxing. I had always been a fan of the sport my whole life and always looked up to the fighters and admired their skill and technique. When I got a car months after my 16^th birthday I decided to go look at white bear boxing gym with the intent to just look around. I pull up to the gym and was not instantly impressed with the outside of the gym; it looked rusty almost shanty but I decided to go in and check it out any how. It was a hot summer Saturday and I walked in to the gym in the middle of a pro sparring session. My eyes were locked on the scene and my full attention was on the action with wide eyes then the round ended and the trainer came up to me and told me the gym was closed on weekends to come back Monday. When I left that day my intent was no longer to just look around but to be a boxer. I was in the gym that following Monday ready to register and get started. I walked in and the first man I spoke to was my current coach, 88-year- old Emmitt Yanez. I told him that I came to start boxing and he pulled me into the office and opened up a few file cabinets full of paper work from registered boxers and had me look at the dozen boxers working out on mitts, heavy bags, and speed bags and said I can be one of them or a piece of paper in the cabinet that never shows up. After that day I was in the gym every day for a solid month when they decided I was ready to go to my first tournament "ringside". I went on to win the novice 178 division and was purely addicted to the sport from there.

I have been actively competing since then and have been blessed to be successful and I worked hard for my biggest competition only one year from my first-ever competition -  the Under 19 National Championships. I won that almost exactly one year from my first tournament. I just now pray my teammates and I compete to our best abilities at this next tournament and bring home the gold for the U.S.