This Kelowna adaptive boxer brings the sport into the spotlight!

For many athletes, sports are a passion, a lifestyle and an identity. For Lily Brook, they’re also proof that no matter the obstacles, nothing can stop someone from doing what they love.

Brook grew up playing soccer, basketball, cross-country running and skiing—until she was 13, when everything changed.

“I was not born with my disability. I have osteochondritis, osteolysis and osteopenia. It affects me from my knees down,” she told Sarah Nick from 104.7 The LIZARD. “When I was 13 years old, I realized that I probably wouldn't be able to continue playing other sports. I had to stop for about three years.”

After unsuccessful attempts at swimming and archery, Brook found boxing. Though she didn’t initially train in a wheelchair, it quickly became her outlet, and her love for the sport grew.

"Para boxing is specifically for competitive athletes—people who want to compete," she said. "Adaptive boxing covers a huge range—from someone who’s a blind boxer to someone in a wheelchair like me."

The differences in training are profound. While many boxers rely on leg strength for movement and power, Brook has had to adapt her technique.

"I have to put everything into my core and arms," she explained. "The power I would usually get from my legs has to come from my core. I need a lot of core strength to turn my body move defensively and throw my punches."

Now, she’s taking her passion a step further, launching an adaptive boxing program designed to give people of all abilities a chance to train and fight.

Geoff Lawrence of Mad Katz Boxing went through a similar experience when an athlete looking to continue boxing after a life-changing injury sparked something much bigger than just a single training session.

"The program started with a gentleman four or five years ago named Dave," Lawrence said. "He came to me. He had been a multi-sport athlete and had run into some tragedy in his life. He ended up in a wheelchair and wanted to take up wheelchair boxing. So that got me involved."

After the program was shelved for a while, Lawrence found the opportunity to restart it when Lily came along a few months ago. Learning about her experience as both a coach and a fighter, he finally had the means to bring the program back to life.

"Now we've got a facility where we can run a program like this, and it brings inclusiveness to the sport," he said. "It's an amazing sport. You think boxing is brutal? You should see adaptive boxing. They just wheel up and start rocking."

Brook will be competing in an adaptive boxing match on May 10 at Mad Katz Boxing Club, marking the launch of a new adaptive boxing program.