Growing up, my dad introduced me to boxing, but he did it in a way that was more than a sport. He told me about the boxers as humans; each had a life outside the ring, and whatever the outcome was after 10 or 12 rounds, it was because of that. 

 

I tried myself; I want to summarize my life in a “cuadrilatero,”  I told myself. Although it was a short attempt, I had the chance to immerse myself in this world. See the worlds collide in a boxing gym. 

 

When I left home and arrived in the US, the first thing I did was find a gym. After years of looking, I found the Park District Gyms, not the fanciest or the most equipped. They don’t need to be. They had something more special. I got to see this world get born, kids choosing paths, veteran trainers, most of them volunteers, giving their time because they knew this was a special place. 

 

I filmed a short video about Ivy, a Park District Boxer, but I kept coming. I got to photograph a year of Thursday Night Fights. 

This is the result.