Tony Jeffries’ success in California shows hard work is rewarded – Katie Bulmer-Cooke

Last week I arrived home from the most amazing holiday I’ve ever had, visiting LA and Vegas.
Former boxing champion and now a successful gym owner in California, Tony Jeffries, during a visit back home to SunderlandFormer boxing champion and now a successful gym owner in California, Tony Jeffries, during a visit back home to Sunderland
Former boxing champion and now a successful gym owner in California, Tony Jeffries, during a visit back home to Sunderland

The trip was amazing for so many different reasons. It’s always good to recharge your batteries and spend good qualify time with your family and not feel like you’re dashing about at 100 miles per hour.

I was fascinated with the way of life in LA too. I’ve never been anywhere like it, especially when it comes to health and fitness.

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Eating well and moving more is clearly high on the agenda for many Californians, with so many healthy eating cafes and restaurants and a huge variety of gyms and studios specialising in every type of workout and exercise you can imagine ... I even saw a studio advertising ‘Rock Music Yoga’ ... although I’m not sure how relaxing that class would be!

It would be fantastic to see this sort of culture develop in Sunderland.

We definitely have the foundations for this as there is already such a variety of gyms and fitness professionals to choose from in the city.

With a bit more choice on the food front and some more fitness offerings we could be well on our way.

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While I was there it was lovely to catch up with my old mate and fellow Mackem Tony Jeffries and his family.

Tony has been living out there for some time now, and has two successful boxing gyms in Santa Monica and Brentwood called Box N Burn.

I can honestly say that the Box N Burn class I took part in was the best and toughest class I’ve ever done (and I’ve done a lot of classes!).

The atmosphere was buzzing and everyone was so friendly and welcoming.

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The class has definitely given me the boxing bug, so since I’ve got home I’ve dusted off my pads and gloves and I’m going to get back into it as it’s a great way to keep fit and it’s so enjoyable ... especially if you’ve had a stressful day.

I love seeing other people doing well, especially people from Sunderland, and what Tony has achieved out in LA is just brilliant and I’m over the moon for him.

Not only are his gyms great, he is also training Robbie Williams and teaching other fitness professionals all over the US how to teach boxing to their clients.

Tony is a great example of someone who has worked really hard and stayed focused in order to achieve their goals and is a fantastic example and role model for young people in Sunderland.