Meet the trailblazing Manchester coach behind England’s first adaptive boxing club

When the opportunity came to combine her love of boxing with her passion for helping others, Luiz Faye jumped straight into the deep end and never looked back.

Founder and head coach of the only adaptive boxing club in England, Kronik Warriors, Luiz is a real-life warrior, working to open up accessibility and ensure boxing is an inclusive sport for all in her native Manchester.

“The first time I put on a pair of boxing gloves was a pivotal moment in my life,” she said. “That moment changed my life. I felt so strong and I knew I wanted others to experience that same empowered feeling."

It was only one day after a session with her personal trainer that Luiz decided to try her hand at boxing, after spending her early years as a swimmer and swimming instructor, but her first taste of the sport left a lasting impression so great she had to act.

“The first time I hit a punch bag I thought ‘Wow that feels amazing’," she said. "Sport had always been a constant in my life but I had never heard about adaptive boxing. I went home and researched everything I could about it but couldn't find a club."

Fuelled by a desire to pursue a new sport and encourage others to experience the same 'high' she felt after putting on the gloves for the first time, Faye embarked on a journey she could never have predicted would lead her to smash through so many glass ceilings.

“I found a coach at an England Boxing Academy, confessed my dream that I wanted to box and use that to get fitter, stronger, support my mental health and one day to help others," she said.

“After that the two of us together became this force, determined to make boxing inclusive and accessible to anyone who wanted to try the sport.”

Looking out for others is in Luiz’s DNA,