For a Man of the Belt, This Boxer’s No Bully

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As far as school speakers go, this one was a knockout.

Boxer and cancer survivor Daniel Jacobs, who holds the World Boxing Association middleweight belt, visited St. Gregory the Great School on Manhattan’s Upper West Side last week as part of his mission to help pummel bullying.

Jacobs, 29, of Brooklyn, told the fifth- through eighth-graders during a morning assembly Jan. 27 in the school auditorium how he turned to boxing as an eighth-grader after one of his classmates began bullying him. He also took the stage to show the students some boxing moves.

After getting into trouble for fighting that bully at school, Jacobs learned the boy was training at a boxing gym, and so he decided to join, too, and continue the fight there. He took care of business with that bully, and he also discovered a passion for boxing and never looked back.

“I went down to get revenge,” he said, “but I fell in love with the sport.”

Among his many achievements—including a sterling amateur career—Jacobs successfully defended the WBA middleweight belt with a knockout in the first round against Peter Quillin in December at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn.

In 2011, Jacobs was diagnosed with osteosarcoma, a life-threatening form of bone cancer, which rendered him unable to walk at one point. But he fought his way back to become the first cancer survivor to win a world boxing title.

While Jacobs was recovering in 2011-2012, he began to focus on his life beyond boxing. In 2013, he founded the Get in the Ring Foundation (GetInTheRing.Net) to help children with their cancer struggles and other life issues he dealt with as a child. Part of the foundation’s mission is to “Knock Out Bullying.”

During his talk, Jacobs diplomatically asked the children how many had, “in general,” experienced being bullied “at least one time.” After many hands shot up, Jacobs gently affirmed “almost everyone in this room, including myself,” and did not press the students further.

He empathized with the students of today, noting that social media—and how some use it as a tool to bully—wasn’t around when he was growing up.

“Bullying is here—it’s going to happen, regardless. How you deal with it, that’s the issue,” he said.

Jacobs encouraged the youngsters to report any experiences of bullying to someone they trust. “You always have to know,” he reassured them, “that you’re not alone.”

Despite the empowerment people who bully may think they have over those they hurt, “bullying,” Jacobs said, “is one of the weakest traits.”

He commended the students for being brave, smart and strong in not tolerating bullying.

During the question-and-answer session, sixth-grader Rodney Tetiali, an avid boxing fan, threw out the first question. He wanted to know how Jacobs felt when he defeated Sergio Mora in the second round last year.

“Wow, you did your research, my man,” an approving Jacobs replied. Rodney, in rapid-fire response, said he saw the match.

“When you think about bungee jumping, you know the thrill that you get?” Jacobs asked the students. “That’s the kind of thrill that boxing brings. Boxing is a sport, and it’s a craft, too. So it’s not just a punching, rock ’em, sock ’em, kind of thing.”

CNY caught up with an elated Rodney after the assembly. “I feel like he’s one of the most inspirational boxers. He overcame cancer and went on to win the middleweight championship. I feel like that just says it all about him.”

Rodney had already planned to take boxing lessons this summer. After the assembly, he appeared eager to slip on a pair of gloves and step into a boxing ring.

Rodney recalled his happiness in finding out that Jacobs would be visiting the school. “It was on the homework board. They said we had to make a summary about his life. I was already excited to do it because I already knew a lot about him.”

When he learned he and his peers would get to see Jacobs in person at the school assembly, “that just made my day even more,” he added.

Before Jacobs departed, he doled out several pairs of boxing gloves that will be displayed in the classrooms.

Donna Gabella, school principal, said the boxing gloves will remind students of their guest and his message to be brave when one is afraid. “They know that we don’t accept bullying, that respect really is first and foremost” at St. Gregory the Great, Mrs. Gabella said.

“Does it always happen that way? No, we have incidents. We try to teach them, we learn to talk about things,” she said.

“We try to really make sure that they know there is always someone there who is going to support them and help them get through the issue.”