TAMPA, Fla. — When Omar Albanil opened Tampa City Boxing in 2011, his goal was very simple: he wanted to share the advantages of boxing with the community.
"I was an amateur boxer and professional boxer, so I started the gym to share those benefits with other people," he said.
Benefits like self-confidence, lessons in perseverance, goal setting and maneuvering through challenges. And as for the clients receiving those benefits, Albanil said he works with everyone—from kids to veterans.
"They mention that this helps keep their minds busy and incorporates good habits in their lives as opposed to something else that may not be so productive for them," Albanil said.
The gym on North Lauber Way is also where you'll find 2024 Florida Golden Gloves winner and USA Certified Boxing Coach Bryant Berroa.
"I love this place. I couldn't find a better place. A lot of gyms, they're rough and tough. This one is too, but there's a lot of respect," he said.
Berroa said his main goal is to push clients to their fullest potential. But on a personal front, he said boxing has helped him push through some of the lowest points in his life, working through the grief and loss right here in the gym.
"You're always gonna get some motivation. You choose what you want to do with it," he said. "Boxing has helped me eat healthy, break a sweat. I sweat it out here."
"Healthy body, healthy mind" is the mantra Berroa lives by, and he encourages everyone, regardless of age, to prioritize mental health and give the sport a try.
"If your body's healthy, so is your mind, so that's where it all begins," he said. "Not saying everything is physical. It's spiritual as well, internal, but physical is a big part of it, and boxing has helped me so much that I had no idea until I jumped in and did it."
Last month, weintroduced you to Jimmy Klass, a Floridian who learned he was not a U.S. citizen after living here for 64 years. ABC Action News reporter Katie LaGrone is following through with updates to his story, while also sharing the story of another Floridian who learned she was not a U.S. citizen after 60 years in the U.S.
