With boxing gyms remaining closed in light of coronavirus concerns, many athletes in the sport have found it difficult to keep fit in these dire times. The same, however, cannot be said of young boxers Shemar Halley and Alesha Jackman, who have been proactive in order to stay in the best shape possible.
Shemar Halley
Owing to the nature of the sport, the Guyana Boxing Association (GBA) made an early move to close gyms around the country. For many amateur boxers, especially the younger ones, this meant that they would have to come up with alternative ways to train, keep in shape and be ready for whenever the sport should reconvene.
According to Halley, he is making the best of the resources he currently has, with shadow boxing playing a big role in his exercise routine.
Alesha Jackman
“With the COVID-19, I cannot get to access the training facilities such as the bodybuilding gym and the training gym, so what I would do is wake up around 4:30 in the morning, I would shadow box, I would skip, I have some weights to lift, and I go for a run every morning,” Halley explained.
On the distaff side, Jackman, who has an older sister in the sport, Abiola, often pairs up with her sister to get the job done.
“Well, you know it’s not me alone in this position, I have my older sister, so we go together some morning at Cuffy Square, we go for a run and then home back. We try to do abdominals there too and other exercises and go home back,” Jackman detailed.
The 15-year-old boxing sensation went on to share her tips for other persons in the sport who may not have the adequate resources to train.
“For me, I would tell them to go and run as much as possible; do your exercises indoors and continue to keep social distancing,” she advised.
For Halley, it’s all about sticking to the recommendations of the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the Ministry of Public Health (MoPH), in order to maintain good health and a strong immune system.
“What I would do/advise also is to get a lot of Vitamin C, try to build my immune system, wear a mask, use sanitiser and try my best to distance myself so we could combat COVID-19,” she said.
