9 years ago during our pilot programme in HMP Wandsworth I met an amazing athlete who has had more impact than most on the direction of our charity’s work. Not just through his story, but also through his actions and his support for what we do.
Fast forward 9 years and I had the privilege of flying to Spain 3 weeks ago (self funded - by me, not the charity) to watch Steve O’meara fight in his first professional fight in some 12 years. Steve was unable to fight for 5 and a half years and then faced years of rejection and disappointment at the hands of British Boxing’s Board of Control, who refused to let him return to the ring, citing his licence period, despite some overwhelming letters of support from probation and charity alike. At the end of his licence they turned around and said he was now too old, despite being 41 and in brilliant condition.Their reasoning, I am not sure. But in boxing, you can’t keep a good man down.
Forced to fight under a Maltese Boxing Licence, Steve trained for months for the come back fight. Over 100 supporters bought tickets to watch Steve. No small feat for a small boxing promotion in Spain. The fight itself was over quickly. Steve, who once fought fellow Light Middleweight Liam Smith for the Commonwealth Title, was a level above the opponent available. But what it demonstrated was the power of determination and believing in reconnecting with the things that you are good at.
Since 3Pillars first formed, Steve has been a constant figure in our work, he has guided and educated on the nuances of the issues we seek to address. Steve led much of our community work over several years pre covid and then even took sessions online through lockdown. In addition he was part of a pioneering effort to help run our programme in Cookham Wood YOI whilst on Day Release. The idea of leaving an open prison to go into another, rather than have a day out, is certainly one that would take a lot of getting used to.
Watch this space, as there are some exciting developments to come with this story…
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