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That sweet science

  • Published
  • By Staff Sgt. Patrick Harrower
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  In the movies, boxers train all day long. They practically live in huge, sleek gyms, surrounded by high-tech workout equipment. Doctors, with degrees in sports medicine, monitor and track their every move on a clipboard. They train every minute leading up to the big match.

This is not the case at Weapons Factory in Fairfield. The gym is small and gritty. There are no high-tech machines, not even a treadmill. There are no doctors in lab coats. None of that matters there. The fighters who train there are being bred to be self-reliant gladiators.

They flip tires and punch bags relentlessly. They run laps in the parking lot with weighted vests. They practice punch combos with a dumbbell in each hand. And, for two Travis Airmen, they work hard on their path to glory.

"I love it when I get to train Airmen in here," said Paul Heinke, Weapons Factory owner.
"Airmen are always more disciplined and they train harder. They are more focused."

Staff Sgt. Justin Cureton, 60th Aircraft Maintenance Squadron communication and navigation systems specialist, and Senior Airman Irby Burnett, 60th Maintenance
Squadron fuel systems specialist, are both pursuing a spot on the Air Force boxing team.

Both Airmen serve on active duty at Travis, so on top of working long hours, they still need to train for approximately four hours per day to achieve maximum potential, Heinke said.

"I train six days a week," Cureton said. "I find the time to train every day through my dedication to make it onto the team. After that, I hope to get to the Olympics and then become a professional boxer."

Even with all the hours spent training, the duties and responsibilities of the Air Force are still the No. 1 priority, Burnett said.

"Everybody knows I'm a boxer," Burnett said. "The people I work with support me and encourage me with my boxing career, but I make sure they all know that the mission always comes first to me."

Sometimes, the mission can involve a lengthy deployment that separates the Airmen from their trainer. It is up to them to stay proficient while away.

"I will take everything that I learn here and use it in the deployed environment to stay in shape," Cureton said. "I will perform circuit training, lots of running and shadow boxing to maintain my edge."

Even with a determined workout, a deployment can be tough on his boxing career, Burnett said. He may be able to stay in shape, but without a team, his technique won't progress.

"Most people see boxing as an individual sport," Heinke said. "But they actually need a team behind them. Nobody does it alone."

Cureton has a fight scheduled April 28 in Sacramento where his team will be there to support him.

"I'm ready," Cureton said. "I am very confident."