‘I started boxing classes to help disabled kids’

An award-winning boxer who helps teach keep fit to children with special needs and disabilities, is expanding his classes to help reach more people.

Bobby Brannen, launched “Fitness By Bobby” a year and a half ago, after a video of him helping his brother who has disabilities train, went viral.

Mr Brannen, from Rugby, told the BBC: “My brother Shay is the reason I started all of this. He’s smashing it.”

The 21-year-old, who has trained over a 100 people in his home gym – with a 100 more on a waiting list – will now offer classes at Brownsover Community Hall.

Mr Brannen does boxing classes for young people with special needs, for home-schooled children and he also does a women-only boxing class.

He said his inspiration is to reach and support more people.

“This is just the beginning, my vision is to keep growing, keep reaching more people, and keep pushing this movement forward”, he said.

Classes at the venue, on Bow Fell, start on 7 October will cost £7.50 per session.

Mr Brannen, who won the Midlands Elite title in boxing, got into teaching the sport after finishing college and signing up for a personal trainer course.

But after posting the video on Facebook of his brother, he received an influx of messages from parents and relatives of special needs children who wanted to hire him.

He said: “This is just the start of something powerful and I’m so grateful for everyone who has been part of it so far. The kit has started arriving for the new classes, and I couldn’t be more excited.

“Let’s keep proving that together, we can beat all odds.”