Founded in 1972 by Earnest “Champ” Cabbler and his brothers James and Alfred, Champ’s Gym has been in operation since 1972.
Over those past 50 years, the gym - a division of Melrose Athletic Club, INC - has given thousands of youths skills that could only come from the boxing ring: athletic training, critical life skills and mentorship.
“Inside the ring, I’ve learned a lot of discipline,” Jamar Dunn said. ”I learned how to keep a cool head, be patient and stay calm in certain situations.”
Many of those young people come from Roanoke’s under-resourced neighborhoods.
Head boxing trainer/coach Jamie Henderson says it gives the youth a chance for athletic training when they may not have any other opportunities.
“[We’re] trying to keep as many kids out of trouble and offer them another alternative or something to do,” Henderson said. “Everybody is not a basketball player, everybody is not a football player, so boxing is another alternative.”
Champ’s Gym offers year-round programming but also welcomes anyone from any financial background. Because for some, boxing is all they have.
“This right here, it gives them a different outlet,” Henderson said. They may not be getting the right attention at home, they might be getting bullied in school, they may not be getting accepted in so-called society. You come in here and it’s like automatically love and family feel.”
However, they have started to outgrow their humble little gym.
Jamar Dunn is currently 20 years old and has been boxing at Champ’s since he was 16. He has a record of 14-3 and has won many medals and belts in his career.
However, he admits that sometimes, it can get a little tight at the gym.
“It works for the moment, but on a good day, we get packed up,” Dunn said. “It’s just like, you know, it’s a little small.”
So, Dunn and his fellow boxers and coaches went to the Roanoke Coty Council meeting on July 21st to ask City Council for their help in securing a new boxing and community center for them.
It would be a 7,500 square-foot state-of-the-art boxing and community center and would include two full-sized boxing rings and training zones, a multipurpose classroom and workshop space, mentorship and counseling offices, lockers, showers, dining areas and classrooms.
They land has already been donated to them, but there is still work to be done regarding demolition of the property and funding.
Henderson has already said that some City Councilmembers have already reached out to him to see if they can offer a helping hand, so that the gym can continue doing what they do for Roanoke and for their boxers to keep representing the Star City.
“We want to be a part of that village that’s helping take down the gun violence and incarcerations and the homelessness,” Henderson said. “It’s a bunch of stuff that we could benefit from the community and the community could benefit from us.”
If you’d like to donate to Champ’s gym, their GoFundMe page can be found here.