Gary Young has been given an extra boost ahead of his fight with David Kirk after he discovered his number one fan Kevin Shand will be at ringside to cheer him on. Kevin, 21, was born with muscular dystrophy, but has only missed one of Young’s 17 professional contests and even then it was due to the bout being held in Belfast..
Young met Kevin at Rachel House Kids Hospice in Kinross after he volunteered to talk to the youngsters at the respite centre during a teenager’s weekend.
Glaswegian Kevin regularly attends the Perthshire location where he has the opportunity to make new friends and enjoy several activities, including themed evenings and issue based workshops.
Kevin said: “If I was able-bodied, I’d be boxing too. I’ve always liked boxing and it’s something I wish I could do, but I can’t so I look at Gary and I think of myself boxing – I think he’s brilliant.
“He’s been the greatest friend I’ve ever had and I hope he does well. I would love to see Gary win a world title.”
Edinburgh welterweight Young, who will end an agonising ten-month spell of inactivity when he steps into the ring at Linwood Sports Complex, draws just as much strength from spending time with Kevin.
Young said: “Kevin has really inspired me. Boxing wise, it’s been a horrible year for me, but seeing Kevin and the way he manages to live his life to the full puts things in perspective.
“He has become like my wee pal and so have a lot of the other kids at the hospice.”
Now that Young has signed with Barry Hughes’ Braveheart Promotions, he hopes to get his career back on track after an injury ravaged five years in the pro game.
Although, he has already beaten Kirk with a four round points win back in June 2004, Young is expecting a tough examination from the Sutton in Ashfield man, who has a record of 11-62-3.
He said: “I have a lot of respect for David and guys like him who keep going into the lions den time and time again by fighting away from home on a regular basis. He has good movement and ring awareness so I’ll be taking nothing for granted.”
Although he has been inactive boxing wise in the last year, Young has been kept busy outside the ring with busy shifts as a nurse at Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
Young hasn’t fought since his six rounds points win over Ernie Smith at the Kelvin Hall last November and had to pull out of a meeting with Kell Brook due to illness. The fight was postponed again when the Sheffield man was stabbed.
All of this has left Young frustrated as he attempts to wipe out the memories of a devastating first round loss to Colin McNeil in April last year.
Young added: “I put the Colin McNeil loss down to experience and even though I learned the hard way, my loss has taught me a lot about myself and I’ll answer critics in my future performances.”