Josh is 20 and works as a plumber and gas safety engineer whilst completing his apprenticeship. He has always enjoyed sports, having swum at county level and played men's football after coming through youth teams.

So when he was given the chance to train with Ultra Boxing and take part in an amateur charity fight, he decided to give it a go. What started as a new challenge became something much more personal!

Choosing Little Miracles

Last year, Josh’s best friend sadly lost their mum unexpectedly. As Josh began preparing for the boxing challenge, he spoke to the family about finding a charity to support that would have meant something to her.

They suggested Little Miracles.

Josh had never supported us before and didn't have a personal connection to the charity, but he knew it was a cause his best friend's mum would have cared about.

“I knew the money raised was going to an extremely worthwhile cause which my friend's mum would have supported and would have been proud of me.”

The fundraising also came at a time when Josh needed something to focus on. He knew early on in the year that he was going to take part in the fight, giving him around three months to prepare for the big night, and there was plenty to prepare for!

Learning to box

Josh had eight weeks of compulsory training with Ultra Boxing, but decided to train for around 13 weeks so he could feel properly ready.

He trained three or four evenings a week, travelling between Hemel Hempstead and a local boxing gym. Most nights he went straight from work to training and didn't get home until around 11pm.

Then he'd do it all again the next day. “The biggest challenge along the way was being disciplined to go to work, train straight after, not getting home until 11pm and doing it all again.”

When he first started, Josh was completely out of his comfort zone. He had never boxed before and had to learn everything from scratch. By the middle of February, he was moving around the ring more confidently and beginning to feel prepared for the fight.

Seeing donations come in also gave him something to keep working towards. Josh says thinking about his friend's mum, along with seeing people support his fundraising, helped him keep going when the training became difficult.

Fight night

When Josh finally stepped into the ring, around 30 family members and friends came along to support him, and Josh remembers walking out under the lights in front of everyone.

The fight ended in a draw, but that didn't take away from the experience. “It was brilliant coming out under the lights in front of everyone, and despite my draw it was a fantastic experience.”

By the end of his challenge, Josh had raised nearly £800 for Little Miracles. That's the part he's most proud of!

Why fundraising mattered

Josh hopes the money raised will help families who are bringing up children with additional needs and may need somewhere to turn for support.

He also wanted to support a smaller charity, feeling that the money raised could be put to good use helping families. “I would like families to be aware that Little Miracles are there for them so they do not struggle alone when bringing up children with additional needs.”

Although Josh had never been involved with Little Miracles before the challenge, the more he learnt about the families we support, the more important the fundraising became to him.

Would he do it again?

After 13 weeks of training and his first time stepping into a boxing ring, Josh says he'd happily take on a similar challenge again.

The experience showed him that he could push himself well outside his comfort zone, and he came away with something else too: a real appreciation for the people around him.

“The main thing I will take away from this experience is how much support I had from family and friends when they knew this was a serious fundraiser.”

For Josh, being able to hand over the money he raised to Little Miracles was particularly important. He knows it was something his best friend's mum would have wanted.

We'd like to say a huge thank you to Josh for choosing to fundraise for Little Miracles and for putting so much time into his training and fundraising.

His first boxing fight might be over, but the money he raised continues to support the families who come to us when they have no where else to turn to.

Want to take on a challenge for Little Miracles?

If you're thinking about taking on your own challenge, we'd love to hear from you. Whether it's boxing, running or something completely different, you can use your challenge to raise money for Little Miracles and help us support more families.

Get in touch with our fundraising team to find out more.