Martin Stark on organising world’s first gay boxing championships and plans to ‘disrupt’ discrimination

In 2017, a near-death experience led Martin Stark to try boxing as a means to overcome post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

Little did he know, the sport he once considered “barbaric” would later change his life. 

“Boxing was a sport I never considered at all because I used to think it was just about people getting punched,” Stark said.

“Not understanding the sport for what it truly is, I thought it should be banned.

After a severe bout of Addison’s disease, a disorder in which the adrenal glands don’t produce enough hormones, left him in a coma, Stark began to suffer from PTSD. 

He discovered that boxing was “great” for his mental health and physical wellbeing.

“I really enjoyed learning a new skill and fell in love with it straight away,” he said.

“I got to learn the technical aspect of boxing, the footwork, the handwork, better balance, skills and coordination.”

‘The opposite of what people would expect’

Stark found “a new passion in life” and says he enjoys the “immersive experience” in boxing clubs and classes.

“When you spar, the first thing you do is you touch gloves with your sparring partner, and coaches and partners, the people you train with, are very supportive,” he said.

“There is an immense level of support for boxers both inside and outside the ring, and I found the sense of camaraderie and team spirit in the sport.

The boxer said he found the sport to be “the opposite” of what people often expected.

“A common misconception is that boxing is about being punched in the face or hit in the ribs, while you could be hitting a pad, punching bags or doing foot drills,” he said.

Homophobia in sports

Last week, professional boxers Amir Khan and Kell Brook exchanged several homophobic remarks in a pre-fight press conference.

“It’s you who was on gay sites w***ing yourself off,” Brook told his boxing opponent, Amir Khan.

Martin Stark says fear of homophobia discourages LGBTQ+ community members from experimenting with the sport.

“The media and internet have fuelled many misconceptions about boxing.

“Don’t just trust what you see or hear in the media and generalise it as the boxing community.”

The Mosman amateur boxer said his personal experience of joining the boxing community had been inclusive and welcoming.

The “proud” 47-year-old had his first competitive fight in December last year.

“I was welcomed and accepted by the crowd as an openly gay male representing the flag and walking out to Relax by Frankie Goes to Hollywood — the most iconic LGBTQ+ song from the ’80s,” he said.

“It’s tough when it’s just you against the other boxer in the ring but the cheers and welcome from the crowd made all the difference.

“It was a very empowering and overwhelming feeling and I felt I had achieved what I set out to do.”

Disrupting discrimination

A minimum of 186 openly LGBTQ+ Olympians participated at the Tokyo summer games last year, according to Outsports. This is the highest number of out athletes in the competition on record.

However, Stark says there is still a limited number of gay and transgender athletes competing at the professional level in men’s sports including boxing. 

To tackle the issue, he plans to launch the first World Gay Boxing Championships (WGBC) next year.

“We want to provide an opportunity for everybody to participate and compete in a welcoming environment.

“We want to do that by increasing inclusion and participation, establishing and fostering excellent relationships with the boxing community and the wider community.”

The WGBC founder hopes these fixtures can become a grassroots playground for professional gay boxers and change the LGBTQ+ community’s perception of boxing.

“The grassroots amateur level is where real change can happen because all professional athletes have to start at that level,” he said.

“If you can raise awareness and reshape mentality at the grassroots level, then you are planting a seed of change for the whole sport.”