December 2022 Rising Stars: Breadwinners Boxing Club

Quotes and Photos Courtesy of Julian Perez

When envisioning the future of Milton-Freewater, look no further than Julian Perez: the face of what is to come. An entrepreneur who at the tender age of 22 has launched two small businesses, Julian wants to create a safe space and lifestyle program for youth in the community through Boxing.

Having lived in Milton-Freewater his entire life, Julian’s love for Boxing began his freshman year at Mac-Hi when he was 15. His parents and uncles were all interested in Boxing, which led him to his former mentor and Coach, Rick Brown. “At first, I thought Boxing was too much hard work, but once I got into the habit, I got going and just kept running.” Julian’s cousins and friends soon followed him to Rick’s Boxing Gym, and a Brotherhood began to form. Through this experience, Julian began to understand that Boxing is both an artform and a lifestyle; Julian appreciated Boxing for the technique and quick decision-making that needs to happen in order to be successful. “A lot of people don’t realize that with Boxing, it’s not just punching and hitting bags. You develop character, gain confidence, and develop your work ethic- everyone has their own unique style and character in the ring.”

Several years ago, When Rick’s Boxing Gym closed its doors, Julian wanted to try it out for himself and set out to develop his own gym, Breadwinners Boxing Club. Thanks to Rick, Julian was able to use most of Rick’s equipment and went on to do private and group training at Breadwinners. During this time, Julian found himself in an unexpected Mentorship role to the youth he was training. “At first, I couldn’t believe I was mentoring these kids because I’m pretty young still. When you’re their Boxing Coach, these kids have problems, and they talk to you about it like you’re their second dad, and you are someone they look up to.” Julian observed that with just 1-2 hours of boxing per day, the youth under his supervision began to experience positive effects overall, and their habits changed to accommodate their healthy hobby: “Eat right, sleep well, take care of your body, and stay out of trouble. Being healthy means no drinking, no drugs, no smoking. Those kids developed a level of respect for themselves and others.” Julian found great purpose in keeping kids focused on their future and “off the streets”, guiding them the right way, and fostering that sense of Brotherhood.

Unfortunately, the building in which the Club was hosted went on to be sold, and Julian was forced to shut down Breadwinners and regroup. Always nimble and ever-ready to move forward, Julian now owns his own construction company, Golden Touch Construction, and is looking to re-launch Breadwinners Boxing club as a non-profit in 2023. He envisions an official mentorship and lifestyle hub focusing on local youth, but available to anyone who wants to help out the Community. Since it’s going to be a non-profit, Julian’s goal is to have the Boxing Club free to everyone; the only requirement is to do community service several timers per month. He’d like to gather a team of volunteers who would be willing to be Board Members, Judges, and Referees that are certified with USA Boxing. Once he has that team in place, he wants to throw Boxing Shows here in Milton-Freewater, possibly at Freewater Square, with a DJ and some food trucks.

To see Breadwinners in action, visit their YouTube Channel where four fights are available for streaming. For more information, visit the Breadwinners Boxing Club FaceBook page, call Julian at: 509-386-8438  or email: [email protected].