Excitement building for upcoming Lennox Lewis Summer Camp 

Western Bureau:

                   Children across western Jamaica with an interest in sports could end up having the summer of their dreams as the Lennox Lewis League of Champions Foundation will be hosting yet another summer camp this year, which will include newly introduced activities.

                         According to Violet Chang Lewis, the co - founder and executive director of the foundation, which is now in its 10th year, it will feature four separate camps, all at the Hopewell Sports and Community Centre at Orchard in Hopewell, Hanover, spanning the entire month of July.

                   Chang Lewis is the wife of former undisputed heavyweight boxing champion of the world Lennox Lewis, who co-founded the foundation with her. They have long stated that this is one of both giving back to Jamaica and opening doors to sporting opportunities for talented youngsters,

                   We will be having four separate camps, which will all form a part of the summer activities,” said Chang Lewis. “The first phase will be the Boxing Summer Camp, which will begin on July 6. It will be followed shortly with other camps such as, the football camp, wrestling camp, basketball camp, and we will close off with an art and craft Discovery Camp. 

                     Lewis, whose impressive boxing resume includes victories over the likes of Mike Tyson, Evander Holyfield and Donavan ‘Razor’ Ruddock, will head the list of trainers who will oversee the boxing camp, which has been quite popular over the years.

                   In the early years of the camp, Lewis had always expressed the desire to uncover at least one talented young boxer, who could be groomed to become a world champion, possibly walking into his footsteps.

               As a way of encouraging full participation, Chang Lewis said the various camps, which will feature participants between the ages of eight and 18 years old, will be hosted free of cost to all participants.

              “We will be providing free transportation and meals to the participants, and we intend to do everything to ensure they feel comfortable,” she said. “We are not looking to attract campers from Hanover; we are looking for youngsters from all over western Jamaica.”

                   Chang Lewis said the camp has been endorsed by the WBC (World Boxing Council), one of the world’s premier boxing organisations, which she said has helped to make the summer camp a reality.

                  Like previous years, the camp is already generating a great deal of attention with parents coming in to have their children enrolled.

                 “We are grateful to the Lewis family for this wonderful initiative, which they have been undertaking for the past 10 years,” one parent told The Gleaner. “My son has previously participated, and he is looking forward to the sporting activities and mentorship.”

                   “I would personally encourage other parents to consider sending their children to this camp, it is a lot safer than leaving them unsupervised in their community,” she said. “I have seen where many young people have benefitted from this camp over the years because it is well-structured and organised and it is free of cost.”