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For many, if not most aspiring boxers, suffering a seizure and subsequently being diagnosed with epilepsy would be the end of their pursuits inside the ring. But Harlem’s Rodney Phoenix is not like most people.
“When I found out (about the epilepsy diagnosis) I was really emotional, but I just felt like boxing is my calling,” he shared exclusively with the AmNews. The 25-year-old began boxing when he was 15 years old to stay out of trouble, and from the outset, Phoenix remained consistent in his commitment and discipline.
“It is just something that just puts me in a different state of mind. It is my therapy. Without it, I don’t know where I would be, you know, run the streets or whatever it was.” So, when epilepsy manifested in Phoenix’s late teens, potentially taking away something that is deep in his heart, he did what he trained so hard to do: fight back.
“I just want to prove to be an inspiration to others and, most importantly, always stay self-motivated and know that anything is possible and I’m only here once, so I’m going to do what I want to do and do it by the will of God.”
Phoenix, who trains and represents the Harlem House of Champions, recently won the 176lb Six Borough Championship in the elite light heavyweight division.
“Rodney represents everything Harlem House of Champions stands for — discipline, community, and faith. His story is a reminder that real champions don’t just train hard, they lead by example,” said Ronnie Love, Phoenix’s coach and founder of the health and wellness organization located at 236 West 135th Street.
Phoenix is also a gym teacher at Future Leaders Institute Charter School in Harlem and is motivated by the kids he works with.
“I love the kids, and I have been working with them since I graduated (from Lehman College with a bachelor’s degree in recreational education) in 2020,” he said. Phoenix was also recently baptized at Abyssinian Baptist Church, one of Harlem’s most well known houses of worship.
“I feel like it’s always important to give back to the next generation, and being young, I just feel like the (Future Leaders students) are like my little siblings in a way.”
Phoenix emphasized that his influence on youth encompasses much more than their physical fitness.
“Anytime I see a kid that’s down, they always know they always talk to Coach Rodney. It is always being that mentor because I did not have that in school, and nobody really got to talk to me as a kid, so I always want to come talk to the kids and just always give back.”
Phoenix will next compete on Saturday, April 5, at the Frederick Samuel Community Center, located at 669 Malcolm X Blvd. Doors open at 3 p.m. for weigh-ins, with the first bell sounding at 5 p.m. sharp. This event is part of the Ring Masters Championships, and winners will compete at The Theater at Madison Square Garden Thursday, April 10.
Ring Masters winners earn their way to the National Golden Gloves, which will take place in Tulsa, Oklahoma, from May 11-18.