Birkdale gym punches on as boxing grows across the Redlands

UBX, formerly 12RND Fitness, is reaping the benefits of the growth of boxing in the Redlands.

Owner Bianca Latorre said she was inspired to open the gym after finding a passion for fitness and health throughout her own weight loss journey.

"I wanted people to feel that sense of what I felt, that it's not just a physical thing about how you look, but waking up and having something to look forward to every day in going to the gym," she said.

"It can totally change you mentally and I gained so much confidence."

Ms Latorre bought the gym three years ago and has since created a fitness community of like minded people.

"Every single person you come across, trainer, gym owners and anyone that's got any sort of boxing experience, you learn something new from them.

"You can't be perfect at boxing. It's just a never ending skill that's just developing and I love the challenge."

The gym took some tough blows during COVID with a positive case early on in the pandemic and constant closures and re-openings throughout the last two years.

Despite the setbacks and ongoing uncertainty, Ms Latorre said boxing was growing in popularity across the Redlands since COVID, particularly among women.

"A lot of people are thinking more about the mental side as well as the physical side," Ms Latorre said.

"We're more way more female based than male based, so I think changing the way that boxing originally started, and putting it in the context of a high intensity circuit workout has just meant it's been able to grow."

Ms Latorre said 60 per cent of her clients were women, and that it was exciting to see female numbers grow in a sport generally thought of as male-dominated.

"All these women come in here and they absolutely kill it, but so many of them are worried about how much boxing is actually involved," she said.

"Once they actually get into it, the boxing actually becomes their favourite part, so it's so great for me to see them get that confidence, and I feel like we've achieved that together."

Ms Latorre said she was excited for the sport to grow even more and keen to see what was next.

"I think the more people who realise it's not actually scary, that it's really easy and accessible and something they can do it's just going to continue to grow," Ms Latorre said.

UBX Birkdale will celebrate their re-branding on Saturday, May 28 with a free open day from 6.30-9.45am.