Jack Denahy is an amateur boxer who was awarded a Scholarship within the 2020 Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship and Mentoring Program, and only the second boxer to be part of the Program. Jack has been paired with Squash champion Sarah Fitz-Gerald AM as his Mentor.
Jack was born in Ballarat, regional Victoria, in 1998 and discovered boxing via Martial Arts. He originally enrolled in a mixed martial arts class at age 15 and soon realised he was most interested in the boxing component, so took himself to a boxing gym in Ballarat and soon flourished under coach Clinton.
His talent and dedication prompted Clinton to send him to new coach Brian Butler, and Jack travelled from Ballarat to Melbourne regularly between 2017 and 2019 to train at East End Boxing and further develop his craft. Results soon followed.
In 2018, Jack became the 60kg Elite National Champion and won a gold medal at the Australian Championships. A year later he backed this up with the title of Elite National Champion in the 57kg division and another gold medal at the Australian Championships.
International competition beckoned, and in 2019 Jack was selected to represent Australia in Thailand, and in Russia at the World Championships in the featherweight division.
The toll of endless travel, competition and training began to tell, and Jack stepped away from the sport in late 2019/early 2020, in order to refresh and recharge physically and mentally. Jack has a great support group to help him through this and the Sport Australia Hall of Fame and AIS continue their support during this time and wish him the best with what he chooses to do in life and sport.
Honours & Achievements
- 2018: 60kg Elite National Champion
- 2018: Australian Championships, Gold
- 2019: World Championships Representative
- 2019: Australian Championships, Gold
- 2019: 57kg Elite National Champion
“This opportunity means the world to me! Having access to the valuable experience of a sporting great such as Sarah Fitz-Gerald will help me build my career in ways I can’t begin to imagine. The funding and recognition provided will allow me to step my training up to the next level including increased strength and conditioning and seeking the best nutrition. I am truly grateful for the opportunity from the Sport Australia Hall of Fame.” Said Jack Denahy on his selection.
Mentor Sarah Fitz-Gerald; “I feel really honoured to be asked to mentor Jack…..his mother and I have been great friends since we were kids, … to watch her son grow up, make decisions which has led him down this path with sport and now to see him achieving so much and working so hard gives me a huge thrill.”
Josh O’Brien, Boxing Australia Chief Executive Officer on Jack’s selection: It’s a rare privilege for Jack to have been selected to receive a Sport Australia Hall of Fame Scholarship for 2020. The opportunity for him to work with a mentor as accomplished at the highest level as Sarah Fitz-Gerald is a valuable opportunity to further develop himself as an international athlete. Having Sarah in his corner as he vies for qualification to the 2020 Olympics is a major boost to his chances. Boxing Australia is greatly appreciative of the Sport Australia Hall of Fame in its support of Jack and boxing.”
Jack Denahy – Changing Seasons Video
Read about Jack’s decision to step away from boxing
Bio picture credit to sportspics.com.au
Last updated 16/06/2022
