Cake decorator by day, boxer by night.
Yolina Lujan Myers needed a new door, and the doors at Southside Boxing Gym swung wide open.
Just like Southside Boxing has done for countless people from all walks of life.
“It's a family-oriented gym where we rely on each other,” said Tommy Arciaga, president of Southside Boxing. “We know it doesn't matter what background you're from. It doesn't matter if you're poor or rich. We don't cater to any particular ethnic group. It's everybody. Everybody needs somebody.”
Lujan Myers, who made his professional boxing debut at The Prospects at the Complex boxing event in Lincoln on Saturday, began training about two and a half years ago.
“I needed a more positive outlet in my life,” Lujan Myers said. “I needed something that made sense, and I wanted to be a better role model for my daughter, to show her that if you put your mind to something, you can see it through.”
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“That's why I'm making my pro debut today. I never expected it, but you just have to stay focused and give it your all.”
Lujan Myers was a young mother of one who had endured two abusive relationships and needed a physical, mental and emotional outlet.
“I just needed to find the strength,” Lujan Myers said, “I had two very long abusive relationships that really took a toll on us and I needed to find the strength within myself to get out of that situation.”
Lujan Myers said her 6-year-old daughter, Bella Rose, is also a source of inspiration.
“She was really young, but she needed a smile, and now she has that smile,” Lujan Myers added. “Without her, none of this would mean anything.”
But the consensus within Southside Boxing is that it's a family atmosphere supported by Arciaga and Southside Boxing.
“I originally got into trouble with the law a year ago,” said Carter McElhose, of Lincoln, “but then I started coming here and it gave me something to do in my free time so I wasn't tired of getting in trouble.”
McElhose, 21, also competed in an amateur bout on Saturday.
“I remember it all feeling awkward and weird about boxing,” McElhose said, “and then slowly, everyone started giving me advice and I started to get the hang of it. The better I got, the more fun it became.”
“Before I came here, I was doing things I shouldn't have been doing. Once I got here, it was reflected in every aspect of my life. I started watching what I ate, I started running. … I think that's been one of the most helpful things in changing my life.”
Discipline and safety are important at Southside Boxing.
According to the Southside Boxing website, boxers are not allowed to spar until they have mastered footwork, defense and punching techniques.
“When I was old enough to contribute, myself and my old coach, John Kubler, started Southside Boxing Gym,” Arciaga says, “I knew that was exactly what I was meant to do. Fighters need people who believe in them, and that's what we do. If you follow the rules, the sky's the limit for anyone. We'll open the doors for you and give you my shirt.”
