Tony Moran: Why I’m fighting for city’s homeless
Posted: 13 Feb 2007, 10:22
http://www.icliverpool.co.uk
Tony Barrett talks to the boxer who’s got a ringside view of Liverpool
LIVERPOOL boxer Tony Moran has an unusual way of “winding down” after a tough training session – he goes out to help the city’s homeless.
Whereas most fighters would enjoy a well-deserved rest following a gruelling daily session of sparring, pads work, running and weights, Tony drops his training gear off at home and goes out on his mission to try and give some of Liverpool’s most vulnerable youngsters a chance in life.
His commitment to the cause is such that he once took a dying AIDS sufferer home to meet his family just to show him that he wasn’t alone in his battle.
Tony himself is modest about his work though. He seeks neither praise nor adulation. All he wants is to continue helping those who find themselves without somewhere to live.
“I enjoy what I do, there’s not much else to it. I’ve been doing it pretty much since I left school,” says the former St Michael’s Roman Catholic primary and Our Lady of Fatima pupil.
“I’m 33 now and I’ve been working with the homeless since I was 16 so it’s just what I do.”
As Tony, who is originally from Kensington but now lives in Woolton, points out there are plenty of people in Liverpool who do similar work.
But he is certainly the only one who combines his work with training for national and area boxing titles.
“I’ve got a big fight coming up in a fortnight so I’m training for that at the moment,” he says.
“It means I’m in the gym twice a day so it can be quite tough combining the two and sometimes it is stressful.
“But it is what I want to do so you won’t get any complaints from me.
“Being a boxer can work in my favour as well because I work with young single men and they always tend to be impressed by people who box so it means I’ve got a bit more of a chance of getting through to them I suppose.”
Based at the men's direct access centre on Green Lane in Tuebrook, Tony, who is married with one daughter, works shifts with some of the most vulnerable members of society.
And his physical capabilities have given him a unique means of working with the young men at the centre.
“I tend to work more on the physical side of things, taking the lads for boxing and karate sessions,” he says.
“There are other people who work on the emotional side of things and they do that brilliantly.”
A year ago, Tony hooked up with life and business coach Steve Heneghan because he wanted “to do more than just babysit” the youngsters he came into contact with.
The pair are now working together to try and instil a sense of self-worth and a positive way of thinking into a group of young homeless males and Steve has been hugely impressed with Tony’s efforts.
“The man is an absolute star,” he says.
“He has a sporting career which he has to train incredibly hard for. He has a young family to look after and yet he still finds the time and the energy to do this.
“Sometimes he does a night shift at the homeless hostel or out on the streets but if any of the lads need anything the following day he’ll be in to help them out – it’s just the way he is.
“Because he’s a big imposing fella and such a good boxer all the lads really respect him but they also respect him because of the work he puts in with them.
“What we are trying to do is to show the lads that they can support themselves and to instil a bit of confidence in them through the one-to-one workshops we are running.”
Their work is certainly having a positive effect as well. Take the example of one 17-year-old lad who was thrown out of home by his mother and ended up on the streets.
“This lad had had a really hard time,” says Tony. “He found himself homeless because his mum didn’t want him at home any more.
“Obviously, this damaged his confidence and he was really upset about what had happened to him.
“But we worked really hard on getting his confidence back and making him aware that he does have a valuable contribution to make and last week he went to Old Trafford for a trial for the England team for the homeless World Cup.
“It’s great to see someone who was struggling so badly doing so well at something he loves and realising just a bit of his potential.”
With an area title fight just a matter of days away, Tony is now stepping up his preparations for the bout.
But the question is which does he prefer – boxing or helping the homeless?
“I couldn’t choose between the two,” he insists. “I get a load of personal satisfaction from boxing and I love doing that.
“But I get a different kind of satisfaction out of the work I do with the homeless – it’s a nice feeling to help someone out.”
Tony Barrett talks to the boxer who’s got a ringside view of Liverpool
LIVERPOOL boxer Tony Moran has an unusual way of “winding down” after a tough training session – he goes out to help the city’s homeless.
Whereas most fighters would enjoy a well-deserved rest following a gruelling daily session of sparring, pads work, running and weights, Tony drops his training gear off at home and goes out on his mission to try and give some of Liverpool’s most vulnerable youngsters a chance in life.
His commitment to the cause is such that he once took a dying AIDS sufferer home to meet his family just to show him that he wasn’t alone in his battle.
Tony himself is modest about his work though. He seeks neither praise nor adulation. All he wants is to continue helping those who find themselves without somewhere to live.
“I enjoy what I do, there’s not much else to it. I’ve been doing it pretty much since I left school,” says the former St Michael’s Roman Catholic primary and Our Lady of Fatima pupil.
“I’m 33 now and I’ve been working with the homeless since I was 16 so it’s just what I do.”
As Tony, who is originally from Kensington but now lives in Woolton, points out there are plenty of people in Liverpool who do similar work.
But he is certainly the only one who combines his work with training for national and area boxing titles.
“I’ve got a big fight coming up in a fortnight so I’m training for that at the moment,” he says.
“It means I’m in the gym twice a day so it can be quite tough combining the two and sometimes it is stressful.
“But it is what I want to do so you won’t get any complaints from me.
“Being a boxer can work in my favour as well because I work with young single men and they always tend to be impressed by people who box so it means I’ve got a bit more of a chance of getting through to them I suppose.”
Based at the men's direct access centre on Green Lane in Tuebrook, Tony, who is married with one daughter, works shifts with some of the most vulnerable members of society.
And his physical capabilities have given him a unique means of working with the young men at the centre.
“I tend to work more on the physical side of things, taking the lads for boxing and karate sessions,” he says.
“There are other people who work on the emotional side of things and they do that brilliantly.”
A year ago, Tony hooked up with life and business coach Steve Heneghan because he wanted “to do more than just babysit” the youngsters he came into contact with.
The pair are now working together to try and instil a sense of self-worth and a positive way of thinking into a group of young homeless males and Steve has been hugely impressed with Tony’s efforts.
“The man is an absolute star,” he says.
“He has a sporting career which he has to train incredibly hard for. He has a young family to look after and yet he still finds the time and the energy to do this.
“Sometimes he does a night shift at the homeless hostel or out on the streets but if any of the lads need anything the following day he’ll be in to help them out – it’s just the way he is.
“Because he’s a big imposing fella and such a good boxer all the lads really respect him but they also respect him because of the work he puts in with them.
“What we are trying to do is to show the lads that they can support themselves and to instil a bit of confidence in them through the one-to-one workshops we are running.”
Their work is certainly having a positive effect as well. Take the example of one 17-year-old lad who was thrown out of home by his mother and ended up on the streets.
“This lad had had a really hard time,” says Tony. “He found himself homeless because his mum didn’t want him at home any more.
“Obviously, this damaged his confidence and he was really upset about what had happened to him.
“But we worked really hard on getting his confidence back and making him aware that he does have a valuable contribution to make and last week he went to Old Trafford for a trial for the England team for the homeless World Cup.
“It’s great to see someone who was struggling so badly doing so well at something he loves and realising just a bit of his potential.”
With an area title fight just a matter of days away, Tony is now stepping up his preparations for the bout.
But the question is which does he prefer – boxing or helping the homeless?
“I couldn’t choose between the two,” he insists. “I get a load of personal satisfaction from boxing and I love doing that.
“But I get a different kind of satisfaction out of the work I do with the homeless – it’s a nice feeling to help someone out.”