We were very lucky to recently be commissioned by Exeter Phoenix and Rife magazine to create a film-based campaign on mental health in boxing, entitled The Hardest Fight. The Hardest Fight will look at mental health issues in sport, primarily boxing, and will look closely at how boxing can actually help you to deal with mental health issues such as depression and anxiety. Working with several boxing gyms in Bristol and the South West, first we’ll be releasing a short documentary focusing on Empire Fighting Chance, based in Bristol. The club runs numerous programmes for young people and adults suffering from mental health issues.
Below is a short documentary created by England Boxing where users of the club discuss the benefits they’ve experienced from boxing.
Many figures, from sport and elsewhere, have discussed the benefits of boxing in fighting depression and mental health issues. Boxers including Ricky Hatton and Frank Bruno have spoken openly about their mental health issues and how they’ve worked through them, and even Prince Harry recently spoke about how boxing helped him to deal with grief and depression.
‘The Hardest Fight of My Life’, commissioned by Exeter Phoenix, will be a 3 minute short film about a young boxer struggling with depression in the lead up to his first fight, and will use audio from interviews to describe the thoughts that go through your head when experiencing depression.
If you have experience with either boxing or perhaps have struggled with mental health issues in the past, you can visit Mind to ask about what services are available. If you’re interested in being involved in the campaign, please email [email protected].