About Us

After years of rowing at the Oakland Strokes Rowing club, I have learned about the value of consistent hard work; its not only the satisfaction you feel after finishing a hard task, it is the changes you see in yourself physically and mentally, the new muscles you see in the mirror or the new mental fortitude that has hardened your mind.

Having spent two summers working at the Kennel Boxing Gym in San Leandro, I see the hustle, ambition, and hard work that its members put in to accomplish their goals. It does not matter if they are looking for a professional career or looking to lose weight, everyone is relentless in their quest to accomplish their goals.

I believe that boxing and rowing are related because of this willingness to put in work in order to achieve one’s goals. On the other hand, Rowing is a sport often defined by its ingrained elitism while boxers are often restricted in their access to necessary resources for success.

Us rowers realize how lucky we are to have constant access to high quality equipment and how necessary it is for us to help out hardworking athletes who may not have the same privilege. Through this fund, we hope to connect the hardworking rowers and boxers of the Oakland Strokes and Kennel Boxing communities and provide resources to the members of the Kennel Boxing Gym, allowing its boxers of all ages to prosper in an environment where access to equipment is not a problem and they are free to focus on working to achieve greatness.