Sunday, 28 August 2016

Fighting For Autism- 12 Rounds With Wayne "Pocket Rocket" McCullough

When you mention Wayne "Pocket Rocket" McCullough and boxing, a list as long your arm appears  the amount of accolades this gentleman has distinguished Wayne as having the "hardest chin in boxing" as well as his tenacity and punch ratio , Wayne is a Commonwealth and Olympic medallist, he has also held titles for the NABF and WBC and even carried the Olympic torch twice in the same day in his beloved Northern Ireland prior to the 2012 Olympic Games in London, and is currently training the next generation of champions dividing his time between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.
Wayne wearing his Olympic and Commonwealth Games Medals , and his World Boxing Council Title belt.
 
Wayne is also an author, his Autobiography "Don't Quit" is a superb insight into Wayne's boxing career and the adversities he faced, aside from boxing Wayne is without a shadow of a doubt one of the nicest guys you could ever meet, always has time for his fans, and truly is a Fans Man.
Dad to rising superstar Wy Mac, and husband to Cheryl, Wayne is a devout family man who goes out of his way to make a difference to others, meeting and greeting the Irish Team for the special Olympics and sharing stories with them was amazing to see.
Wayne with some of the Irish Special Olympics Team in Los Angeles
 
 
When Fighting For Autism did the "1 Minute punch bag challenge" for Autism Awareness, Wayne was at the forefront leading the charge, uploading his video and nominating others to do the same.  
Wayne is also a Fighting For Autism Fighter Ambassador, who has truly helped to raise awareness and acceptance.
 
 
We asked Four of the Fighting For Autism Junior Ambassadors,  Rhys McCole (Top Left), Zak Lovell ( Top Right) Josh Westcott ( 2nd Left) and Nas Stowell (2nd Right) who are all outstanding amateur boxers and also on the Autistic Spectrum to ask Wayne a few questions, so here we go
 
 
 12 Rounds With Wayne "Pocket Rocket" McCullough, questions asked by Josh Westcott, Rhys McCole , Zak Lovell and Nas Stowell
 
1.Wayne you were never knocked out or stopped but who was the toughest and also hardest hitting opponent?
The toughest fighter I fought was Victor Rabanales in my 13th fight. He was number 1 in the world. I was number 5. I had to beat him to get a crack at the world title. He hit me so hard at one point I was out on my feet and he didn't even know it. I was inexperienced going into that fight. The hardest hitting fighter over 12 rounds was Erik Morales.

 2. What has been your own personal greatest achievement and honour?
People always think winning the Olympic silver medal was my greatest achievement but in my opinion winning the WBC World Championship tops that. That belt has been held by some of the best fighters of all time. From Muhammad Ali to Floyd Mayweather. I am the first (and only) Irish fighter to ever win a WBC belt.

 3. You support Fighting for Autism and people on the Autistic spectrum why do you do do much for others? 
I have a platform to bring awareness to causes and for as long as I am able to do that I will continue to support my friends and family in their efforts.

Thank You- Rhys McCole - Junior Ambassador (Scotland)
4.How often do you train, and do you enjoy training ?
I train every day for at least 2 hours. I love it. When I was boxing, it was my life. Once an athlete, always an athlete.

5.What kind of diet do you have ?
I eat good healthy food. Chicken and turkey mostly. But that's not to say I don't like biscuits and tea!

6.What kind of sports personalities/people did you look up to whilst growing up ?
I loved watching athletics (track and field) and I watched football. I always wanted to be a football player but I was better at boxing. I used to read about old time boxers because in my day there was no internet! So I loved going to the shop and picking up the latest Boxing News.

7. You've done really well becoming a World Champion, can you describe how that moment felt ?
It was a weird feeling. I set a goal when I was young. When I achieved that goal, it was an anti climax and I almost felt like "what's next?"

8.A lot of Boxing success often relies upon timing, did you ever get impatient waiting to make your mark, and was it difficult finding the right moments ?
Yes when I became the number 1 contender to the world title the champion made me wait for another 13 months before giving me a chance at his belt. That was frustrating.

Thank You- Nas Stowell- Junior Ambassador (England)

9.What was the start of your amateur career like?
I remember being in the gym for about 6 months as a 7/8 year old. I had to learn the trade before stepping into the ring to fight. In my first fight I was matched against a fighter with over 50 fights but because I'd spent the time to learn I was able to stop him in 2 rounds.

10.What did your family and friends think of the dedication you put in to fight in the Commonwealth and Olympics and win medals?
My friends used to go to the gym with me but they all fell away over time. As a young kid I always worked hard. To this day my friends remember the hard work I put in and see now that it paid off.

Thank You- Josh Westcott- Junior Ambassador (Scotland)

11. What age did you start boxing?
I began at 7 years old. My first fight was at 8 years old.
 
 12. Did you have any specific obstacles?
Coming from the working class area of West Belfast the obstacles were actually making it to the gym as opposed to getting caught up in the gangs or stuff my friends were into.

Thank YouZak Lovell -Junior Ambassador (England)




Thanks so much for the questions! They were great!!!

Wayne 
 



 
 
 
 
Fighting For Autism, would like to say a massive thank you to Nas Stowell, Josh Westcott, Rhys McCole, Zak Lovell and Wayne "Pocket Rocket" McCullough for an excellent interview
 
 
Wayne can be found on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/WayneMccullough and on Instagram
 
Fighting For Autism can be found on Facebook www.Facebook.com/fightingforautism

Heart of a Champion, Liam McGeary, A fighter raising Autism Awareness and bringing the best out of people.


Todays blog tells a bit about Bellator Light Heavyweight Mixed Martial artist Liam McGeary.
Liam has numerous accolades in Mixed Martial Arts with a record of 11 wins and 1 loss, is the former Bellator Mixed Martial Arts Light Heavyweight Champion, who is on the comeback trail for his the coveted Bellator Light Heavyweight Championship.
Liam is accomplished in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu with devastating knockout power in his hands and feet that has seen him rise to the elite on the Bellator Mixed Martial Arts roster, this gentleman from Kings Lynn in the UK and one time steel fixer, whose hard work and determination has seen him become a Champion, and will see him go on to capture the championship belt again.

Outside of the octagon, Liam is an absolute gentleman, inspiring in fact, always courteous and accommodating to Mixed Martial Arts fans, but he also is an avid advocate for raising Autism Awareness both in the United Kingdom and in The USA, over a year ago Liam became a Fighter Ambassador for Fighting For Autism , who are a worldwide non for profit organisation dedicated to raising Autism Awareness through Martial Arts and Boxing, his willingness to raise awareness and go the extra mile and raise a smile  for others has been amazing.



last  year, Liam was asked if he could go and visit our very good friends at Immortal 365 Martial Arts Academy in Peterborough in the United Kingdom, and on a Sunday afternoon Liam and his mum drove over and attended a visit for Fighting For Autism Junior Ambassador Hannah Roberts and Aaron Lister, Aaron is a youngster who is on the Autistic spectrum who was due to undertake his Black Belt grading in Tae Kwon Do, Hannah had been providing support as a study buddy assisting and guiding Aaron through the syllabus under the watchful eye of Steven Lloyd (owner and Tae Kwon Do instructor Immortal 365) and Pete Holmes (Owner and Instructor Immortal 365).
Liam attended, and made everyone feel like a champion in their own right, signing autographs and talking to everyone at the club, he then went on to watch Hannah and Aaron, perform one of the upcoming Kata's that could be requested. needless to say they nailed it, Liam then asked if he could take a selfie with them which was put on his personal Instagram page.

 
Liam and Fighting For Autism Junior Ambassador  and Immortal 365 Student Hannah Roberts


Liam and Immortal 365 Student Aaron Lister.

Needless to say, Aaron went on a few weeks later to gain his coveted Black Belt, all his hard work and that of everyone at Immortal 365 had come to fruition.
Peter Holmes from Immortal 365 Martial Arts Academy had this to say about Liam " He is  lovely person and always welcome at Immortal 365"

A few weeks after Liam was asked if he would put up a personal video of why he Fights For Autism, his video was from the heart and uplifting, as any parent, sibling, Liam's video clip explains Liam's teammate/friend over in the USA has a child on the spectrum, and he how  Liam  has forged a friendship this young gentleman whose name is Parker Biedenkapp is amazing to listen to, and cements Liam McGeary is an outstanding champion, but also highlights that Parker is a Champion in his own right too.
Parker and Liam in matching Fighting For Autism Caps

Parker has inspired the club where Liam trains to get involved, there is an annual seminar held in Parkers name #TeamParker where some of the finest Brazilian Jiu Jitsu practitioners in the world gather to learn new skills and meet up with old friends and make new ones too.
The amazing thing that Fighting For Autism has found with the Martial Arts and boxing communities is that clubs, coaches and students rally around each other, the sense of support and family is phenomenal.

Fighting For Autism has seen clubs from these communities on a global scale really push the boat out to raise autism awareness together with Fighting For Autism and  with some even going on to develop Autism Friendly classes of their very own, the input of each and every ambassador has been making a massive difference in the Autism community.

Parker has an amazing gift in his own right, this young champion in the making is also a budding  Football and Lacrosse player, with the support of his family and friends he will go on to accomplish great things, Fighting For Autism are proud to announce that Parker Biedenkapp is now a Fighting For Autism Junior Ambassador who joins a growing number champions in their own right from around the world, who are actively making a difference in raising Autism Awareness.

Junior Ambassador for Fighting For Autism- Parker Biedenkapp

Liam is due to compete in the main event at Bellator Mixed Martial Arts- Bellator 173 event in Belfast, Northern Ireland on the 24th of February, please give him as much support as possible.

On behalf of all of the Fighting For Autism Family, Liam McGeary "Thank You" and we will be cheering you on at Bellator 173.
All the very best!
Liam McGeary can be followed on Twitter.
Www.twitter.com/liam_mcgeary
And on Instagram
www.Instagram.com/liammcgeary1
If you have a positive story about someone who makes a difference please get in touch FightingForAutismeuro@gmail.com

(Fighting For Autism) Voices For The Voiceless- Garrett G-Money Holeve

It seems only yesterday that I was reading the remarkable story of a young gentleman called Garrett Holeve and his battle for acceptance and being allowed to compete in his choice of sport, Mixed Martial Arts. Garrett is an athlete in every sense of the word, devoted, competitive and driven. Garrett is an adaptive athlete with Down Syndrome.



Garrett's story  not only is one of inspiration, but it's one of significant importance, as this was the young man who along with his Dad,( Mitch Holeve) refused to take no for an answer, and gained a massive following from elite Mixed Martial Artists and Garrett's Fight was born.
Garrett's Dad Mitch Holeve who is a former boxer, had been made aware of a free trial at a local mixed martial arts academy, and asked if his sons would like to give it a try, which they did, the following morning the only one raring to go was the young man we've all come to know as G-Money, it's safe to say Garrett took to training like a duck to water.
As Garrett developed as a martial artist, much like any other person, his desire to compete was established, only this seemed to be a door closed. Undeterred Garrett continued his fight for acceptance, gaining attention from high profile Mixed Martial Artists like Stephan Bonnar who became a supporter and friend to Garrett as well as many others like Tyron Woodley.



Garrett and professional Mixed Martial Artist and UFC Fighter Tyron Woodley 

Fighting For Autism Head of Operations for the USA, Brian Higginbotham was made aware of Garretts Fight and sought on finding a solution that allowed Garrett and his opponent (Nebraska Special Olympics Hall of Fame athlete ) David "Priceless" Steffan to compete in Mixed Martial Arts, and getting the approval of the board of Spire Sanctioning Alliance and it's President, Jayson Cooper, who were amazingly understanding and approved the bout, which took place at Cage Championships 50, under promoter Patrick Smith.
Garrett wearing his Fighting For Autism belt, pictured with his fight team, dad Mitch Holeve and Fighting For Autism Head of USA operations Brian Higginbotham 
Garrett won that bout by submission. Both athletes have so much to be proud about, turning critics into fans and more so encouraging the next generation of adaptive athletes to come forward and show the world what they can do.
(Photo courtesy of Sara Levin Photography) 

Since then Garrett has gone from strength to strength, coaching youngsters with disabilities both in Martial Arts and also Crossfit of which Garrett is an avid competitor



A few months back, Garrett and his Dad flew into London, where I managed to meet up with them at Urban Kings Gym in Kings Cross, where Garrett was being filmed for an upcoming short documentary by the Adaptive Boxing Organisation headed by Colin Wood. Being filmed as carrying out some training with various instructors and students, which included Fighting For Autism Fighter Ambassador and professional Mixed Martial Artist Helen "Hellraiser" Harper.
Watching Garrett train under the watchful eye of his Dad, was an inspiring and emotional experience, and impressive as Garrett was not phased by the cameras and concentrated on the instructions being given by his Instructor.

Garrett at a Muay Thai one to one class at Urban Kings Gym in London 
Garretts post training regime consisted of watching what he had just learned that had been recorded on a mobile phone, and going over it again, to fine tune his technique until it was perfect, it was absolutely amazing and humbling to watch.

Garrett pictured following his days training at Urban Kings Gym in London 

Garrett G-Money Holeve is the real life story of the young man who refused to give up, he dares to be different and along with his dad Mitch, I feel truly honoured to call my friends, their journey and determination to get people to see things differently and chase their dreams I only hope I've done justice in this blog.
Fighting For Autism are so very proud of you Garrett, not just the athlete you have become, but also the fine gentleman you have grown to be, special thanks to Garrett and Mitch Holeve,Helen Harper, Urban Kings Gym, The Adaptive Boxing Organisation, Colin Wood for allowing us to be part of a wonderful day. And most importantly to any reader,be like the young man they call Garrett G-Money Holeve, you never know how good you will be unless you try.


Garrett can be followed on Twitter at www.Twitter.com/GarrettsFight
If you have an inspirational story please get in touch with Fighting For Autism's Paulieboy at paulgreany@aol.com
#DareToBeDifferent #NeverGiveUp #AutismAwareness #GMoney #MMA

Fighting For Autism, Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis and Josh Loveridge

Fighting For Autism Fighter Ambassadors Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade" Davis and Josh Loveridge,  agreed to carry out answer a few questions that the other wanted to ask, a kind of head to head between ambassadors if you will.

Marcus, a seasoned professional boxer and mixed martial artist who has fought a the very pinnacle of Mixed Martial Arts including fighting for both UFC and Bellator, with a resume that is jaw dropping , what people may not know is that Marcus also worked as a behavioural health professional in Maine, USA, where he worked with children on the Autistic Spectrum
Josh, is a superstar in the making , a multi talented young martial artist whose accolades are amazing , as his is knowledge of the Autistic Spectrum, as Josh is on the Spectrum himself and is a passionate advocate for Autism awareness and acceptance.

Josh Loveridge is a Fighter Ambassador, based in Wicklow, Ireland. Josh has competed in several disciplines of Martial arts, and has won numerous championships, Josh has a vast knowledge of autism, as he is on the Spectrum, and is an active advocate for raising Autism awareness and acceptance.


Seconds out, ROUND 1

First up to ask  the questions was Josh, who asked Marcus-

1.What was your leading motivation when making the jump from Boxing to Mixed Martial Arts (MMA)?
"Two reasons really. I had faith that MMA is where combat sport was heading. As far as my personal reason was I wanted to be competing in something that was closer to real hand to hand combat. MMA was the closest thing”.

2.As a fighter with a long career what was the leading factor in keeping your body in good condition?
I do have a very long list of permanent injuries but I love to train. Although retired, I train 6 days a week. I also developed some food allergies and sensitivities so it forces me to eat clean“. 

3. What was the biggest highlight of your career?
Fighting in Dublin, Ireland”

4. How does it feel to have fought in the 2 biggest organisations in MMA?It was a great self accomplishment. Nothing compares to competing in the UFC”.

5. From a nutritional point of view did you ever struggle making weight for fights?“Yes. Always as a welterweight and even more so as a lightweight. The lightweight cut is responsible for some of my long term issues”.

6.What is your training regime like now that you have retired from competitive MMA?“I am retired. I weight train 5 days a week. My walk around is around 210 lbs now. I love grappling now and try to roll as often as possible“.

7. What motivated you to continue fighting after the shoulder injury you obtained during your fight against Joe Stephenson?
After the injury it took nearly 7 months for it to heal 100%. During that time I spent allot of this me reflecting and decided to spend those months working on my grappling“.

8. Did u obtain any injury's from your long career in mma, boxing and kickboxing that still trouble you today?
“I have a huge list. From torn retinas to slight cognitive differences. Let's just say- yes“.

9. If there was one thing you could tell young fighters what would it be?
Surround yourself with people that genuinely care for you. Don't just jump into a gym and commit or a manager because you hear or think they might be the best. It's better to be around people you have your best interest at heart. Not just theirs“.
 
10.What was your goal when you first started competitive fighting?
“Originally it was to fight in Ireland and make a living doing so. Later was to provide for my family“.




And then  Marcus gets to ask Josh a few questions.
Seconds Out, Round 2
1. What are your goals?
“My goals are to strive to be the best that I can be in my craft.”

2.How do you plan to achieve them?
I plan to achieve my goals by a very simple formula which is work hard and believe in myself with these 2 things nothing can stop me“.

3.What is the greatest challenge you have had to face and how did you beat it?
For me probably the greatest challenge I've had to face is coming to terms with my diagnosis and learning to accept it, time was the leading factor in me coming to terms with things”
.
4.When looking for inspiration what is it you think of, what inspires you?
“When I’m looking for inspiration i look back to where I was a couple of years ago and the improvements that i have made since then this helps a lot when struggling for inspiration, the main driving force behind my inspiration is that i believe that i can do whatever i set my mind to and no one can tell me otherwise so when people do tell me i cant do something it motivates and inspires me to do the task at hand”.



Fighting for Autism would like to say a huge thank you to both
Marcus "The Irish Hand Grenade Davis  and to Josh Loveridge, for taking time  outto take part in this interview, and also for being Fighting For Autism Ambassadors and role models for generations to come, who will hopefully see that being different can be very cool, and with the right guidance and assistance what can be achieved.
#Inspire #ChaseYourDreams
#BeBrave #BeBold #BeInspiritional #BeYourself #DareToBeDifferent
#AutismAwareness #MarcusDavis #The IrishHandGrenade  # JoshLoveridge
#MMA #BJJ #K1 #Kickboxing #MuayThai

Fighting For Autism- Claire Smith. Mother, Friend, Fighter and being on the Autistic Spectrum







Claire Smith, is an accomplished female Mixed Martial Artist, a mother of 1, and on the Autistic spectrum, these are Claire's experiences of being an adult on the Spectrum, Claire is also a Fighter Ambassador for Fighting For Autism.

"So where do I start? I was asked to write a blog to let people know about me and my autism.
So I guess I am going to start with I'm 34 years old and autism very much plays a massive part in my life and how I deal with day to day life, I wrote a status on Facebook today “What's the point in fighting for acceptance in something when that one thing your fighting for is the one thing you would change about yourself if you could Autism sucks and I hate having it“.
Maybe the reason people with autism don't form friendships like “normal” people is because your oddness shows through to much you try be a friend but actually have no idea how to and say things wrong then upset the people you never intended to upset. Not being able to read situations gets you in so much trouble, you form friendships and end up pushing them people away because the way you say things or the way u interpret things How can u fight for acceptance when you don't accept yourself how can u fight for awareness when you try to hide your disability to people cause your embarrassed I wish my brain worked how it should and I wish I could change the way I am, as I have spent 34 years trying to fit in.


I'm so tired, maybe I should just stick to the autism rule book and live my life in a bubble, because I don't understand the real world and haven't got the energy to fight to be accepted.

When is different ever really accepted?
I wrote this because, I thought I've upset a close friend of mine today all because my autism is high, I'm a grown adult I'm a single mum to a 10 year old and I still have autism.
I wish you could grow out of autism it really would make my life easier. Because of my autism everyday is made 10 x harder I have a support worker that come to me a few times a week to help with paper work, paying bills, and goes to appointment with me I can't do waiting rooms a hospital and doctors cause the sounds and to many people, new places or new people I don't do well with, and I need to be warned before meeting anyone new or I will have a meltdown.
I don't do good with change of routine so with the six weeks school holiday just started I'm finding it hard to adapt friendships, I struggle with it takes me ages to form them and seconds to lose them People always say they will never walk away they understand u the autism doesn't bother them but they always end up going when the autism hits Autism is a very sad and lonely place at times as a child u know your different but u don't know y but u have the safely net of your family so it's ok your ok to be in your bubble as a child because you have enough people around stopping that bubble being burst, but as an adult that bubble burst and you are in the real world and there's no one to stop you getting hurt.You try to form friendships, but, I found that when times get hard people aren't interested in understanding and that confidence is in my case one thing I lack, and it doesn't take much to knock it, I got into fighting because being bullied at school and was shocked I was actually good at it the gym became my safe zone, that want to fit in ,went I actually could do the same stuff everyone else could do I wasn't the "weird kid with autism" I was 'normal' after 10 weeks of starting the gym, I won the southern area championship in kickboxing.



I will never forgot that feeling of winning that, I've been bullied all my life because of being autistic, I've been laughed at, pushed, punch, spat at and used by people. When I form a friendship, I normal mess it up because I become to much for that one person and an adult having a melt down isn't a good look. Unfortunately it seems like a never-ending battle, but, you are battling just as one person alone, kind of like kickboxing or Mixed Martial Arts.
Finding a friend, when you think you’ve found that person, your guard comes down but you are left wide open to be taken advantage of or misunderstood, and then it comes as the hardest smack in the face you ever had, when autism gets to much and you lose another friend, the amount of best friends I've meant to have had I've lost count, I've lost because my autism and the reality is people just don't understand what autism is.
They think you can control your feelings, and what comes out of your mouth, they think you can control your frustration.

Some people think you do it for attention, when u couldn’t be further from the truth. Do you really think just for attention I would lose it cry uncontrollably sit in the corner of the room hitting my head as hard as I can against a wall that really is some attention seeking?
I feel like applying for a role in soap opera, at least acting as if losing your temper on yourself punching yourself as hard as you can in the face is some attention seeking. (I'm a fighter I can punch and that hurts) throwing your brand new Iphone across a room as hard as you can because your in a melt down really wouldn't be a good idea if I was only doing it for attention.
Is it so hard for people just to accept that everyone is different?
Just because I can't read or process a situation doesn't mean I am a bad person, or I am a bad friend, it doesn't mean I can't hold a friendship, some of the most caring nicest people you will meet are on the autistic spectrum, I personally go out my way to help people out, I leave myself not being able to pay bills to make sure 'friends' do go without I will try to buy friendship just cause that way in my brain that person will want to be friends with me but when the money runs out so does the friendship.
I can't tell who using me and who not sometimes, I probably question the wrong friends and end up losing them and other times I don't question the right friends and get taken advantage of .Growing up with autism is so hard, and it doesn't get any easier you just learn to hide it. So many people are shocked when I tell them I have autism, then the 'real' me comes out and then I get can't believe I've not seen it before.

I wish I could stand up on the biggest building in the world and shout out to everyone that autistic people have feelings, and get the message across to just get some sort of acceptance. If I could stop a child going through this daily battle I have, then I will do everything I can to stop it.
In all honesty, my hopes for the future are just to form one real friendship where I don't have to question that friendship, where that person gets that I may be a bit different or odd, but odds not a bad thing.

I just want to be accepted in this big wide world, yes I have a disability but that does not make me any less of a person.

Fighting For Autism- Who we are and what we do.

Fighting For Autism- Who we are and what we do.

Fighting for Autism is an Autism awareness and advocacy charitable organization, who's mission is to improve the quality of ...life for children and families living with Autism around the world.

Fighting for Autism is headquartered in Sydney, Australia and also has sites in both London, UK and St. Louis, Missouri, USA.

Fighting for Autism operates an ever-expanding group of programs and initiatives, including:

- Fighter Ambassador Program
- Mentoring Program
- Anti-Bullying Program
- Kickboxing Therapy Program
- Awareness & Acceptance Initiative
- Technology Initiative
- Fundraising Initiative

We continue daily to expand our programs and initiatives with the focus on making a significant global impact.

Fighting for Autism proudly works with a number of affiliate brands, fight promotions and sponsors with the goal of reaching as many people as we can. We also hand pick fighters for our Fighter Ambassador program and have Ambassadors who compete at all levels around the world.

Fighting for Autism's Managing Directors know first hand living with Autism as each Director of our organization is a parent of a child with Autism.

Please join our fight. Like and Share our page and continue to check back as often as you can to participate in our mission to improve the quality of life for all children and families living with Autism around the world!

For media inquiries, please message our Facebook page and we will contact you to discuss arrangements for stories or articles.

We will NEVER STOP! We WILL FIGHT!!