Boxing as an opportunity for transformation in Morro da Providência. Athlete and coach Leandro de Medeiros shares his journey in the sport and the impact of the community's only boxing gym on residents' lives.
For this project, we chose to interview athlete and coach Leandro de Medeiros, 20 years old, born and raised in Morro da Providência. The athlete told us a bit about his life as an athlete and coach and what boxing has provided for his life.
He said that his career as an athlete began at the Escola de Boxe Eduardo Cardoso, located in Morro da Providência. He has fought in 7 championships so far, in several cities across Brazil. During the interview, he said he had made many friendships with other boxing athletes and coaches, as well as gotten to know many other athletes. Boxing has brought many physical and mental benefits to his life.
As a coach, he learned to socialize better with people and began training residents of his area, passing on the knowledge and experience he gained through the sport. His students range across all age groups, whether men, women, or even children.
We chose to talk about this athlete and this gym because it is the only boxing gym in Morro da Providência, and because this athlete, specifically, is a resident of the community, has won most of the championships he has competed in to date, and is helping new people discover and enter the world of the sport.
Image description: This is a photograph of a boxing match in a ring. On the left side, we see a fighter wearing red attire with blue details and blue gloves. He is being hit by a punch from another fighter, who has his back to the camera and wears light blue attire with white details. The ring has blue and red ropes, and in the background there are spectators sitting in black chairs. At the top of the image, we see a white banner with logos and text in blue.
