In a squat gymnasium in Penrhiwceiber, a valley town in south Wales, Anthony Trow watches a 22-year-old super-heavyweight named David Francis snap punches with practiced precision. A year ago, this gym might not have existed. The A.N.A. Amateur Boxing Club was "one bid away from losing the club" when its building was put up for sale, a moment that could have ended a community institution entirely. Instead, local residents pulled together in a quiet act of determination, raising £15,000 to secure its future. Today, the gym pulses with purpose: more than 30 members train up to four times a week, coaches file through the doors, and Welsh national champions emerge from among them.
Trow, a former seven-time Welsh champion himself, returned to the gym less than a year ago to find it fighting for survival. "It means everything," he said simply. "I've come back into the gym just under a year ago, and it was going to be sold from underneath our feet. We successfully managed to pull the community together, raise the money and save the club. To see it thriving like it is now — more people coming in and more coaches joining us — it's going in the right direction."
Francis's story crystallizes what the gym now offers. He spent his early twenties pursuing rugby at an elite level, representing the Ospreys academy and Wales Under-20s, but injuries accumulated and the joy drained away. Last summer, he decided to return to boxing, a sport he'd loved before. He walked through the A.N.A. gym's doors in November 2025. "I came to the gym in November and I haven't looked back since," he said. By April 2026, he was competing in the Welsh National Championships—a tournament that drew more than 230 competitors across 37 categories from clubs throughout Wales. Despite having only six amateur bouts under his belt, Francis won his weight class, beating Joshua Taylor of Pontypool ABC by split decision in the final. "It was really surreal," Francis reflected. "You don't really expect it, but you try to soak it all up and enjoy it because you don't know when your last one's going to be."
His father, Dafydd Francis, initially worried when his son announced he wanted to fight. But once he'd selected the A.N.A. gym, those doubts quieted. "I knew Anthony and trusted the environment here," Dafydd said. "As a father, I wanted to make sure he was in a good place and in Penrhiwceiber they're brilliant. It's incredibly inclusive and there are no egos here."
The club's momentum extends beyond one boxer. Fifteen-year-old Alfie Taylor is rising through the ranks. Thirteen-year-old Mark Stroh, who joined a year ago, credits boxing with reshaping his outlook. "I like the fitness and how good it makes me feel," he said. "It's local, I've made lots of friends here and everyone's nice. It helps outside of boxing too—it teaches you how to look after yourself." Stroh is now preparing for the Welsh Open, where he hopes to win his first title.
This thriving corner of Welsh boxing reflects a broader growth across the nation: 1,621 registered boxers and 136 affiliated clubs, according to Welsh Boxing. The highest ambitions lead toward the Commonwealth Games, one of the biggest honours for amateur fighters representing Wales. But at A.N.A., the message is different. What began as a rescue mission has become proof that when a community decides something matters, it can be saved—and more than saved, it can flourish.