A Boxing Dream Renewed

By Mass Communication Specialist 3rd Class Danilo Reynoso. 
USS Bataan (LHD 5) Public Affairs 

Ding ding ding, the bell rings notifying all of the gym’s occupants it’s time for a workout. Hiss hiss followed by two loud smacking thuds of leather gloves beating against a punching bag is heard as Culinary Specialist 3rd Class Demarco Herrod feels the adrenaline surge through his body.

This is where the magic happens for the  27-year-old, Hinesville, GA native. Assigned to the amphibious assault ship USS Bataan (LHD 5), Herrod sought out boxing three months after returning from his deployment in 2017. For Herrod, this decision was not on a whim.
As a young boy, his inspiration came from watching the greats spar in the sport he loves.

“I always loved boxing,  my all time favorites are Mike Tyson and Muhammad Ali,” said Herrod. “Roy Jones Jr., Sugar Ray Leonard and Floyd Mayweather were all are my inspirations growing up.”

The professional boxing match between Mike Tyson and Larry Holmes, billed as “Heavyweight History”, was the fight that gave Herrod the boxing bug. Growing up as a troubled kid in a small town, Herrod didn’t get alot opportunities to join sports teams. While he didn’t train professionally, he would always practice with his brother until joining the Navy.

The Navy changed everything for the better, allowing him to get into boxing and pledge himself to the sport.
“When I finally joined the Navy and made that life decision, it changed everything around”, explained Herrod. I finally thought, ‘yeah let me get into boxing and commit to it. Now here I am.”

Being a culinary specialist on a large ship and feeding a 1000 person crew can be stressful at times. Boxing gives Herrod a place to knock out the daily stressors of Navy life.

“When I come to the gym, I let all the stress go and it feels like I never was stressed to begin with.”

Using internet searches, Herrod was able to find a local boxing gym that fit his wants and allow him to continue his passion. His coaches and fellow boxers welcomed him with open arms, but didn’t spare him any new guy treatment.

“I push myself harder and harder everyday. My coaches show me I can always do better and always try more. Even when I don’t have faith that I can do something, they believe in me and push me to my max. There’s a part of myself I didn’t even know was there until I started boxing.”

For Herrod, boxing brings him a certain state of bliss and a sense of accomplishment after each workout. Knowing it’s all on him puts the right amount of responsibility and pressure to be able to constantly exceed his own limitations.

He uses his intense five day training schedule as a daily mental health and physical health reset. It also helps him maintain his mission readiness that Navy life expects.

“It’s why I love this place. I’ll reach my limit and they’ll keep pushing me past that limit. That rush makes me feel so alive, like a new person. It makes me feel young again.”