Sideline Sid Sports correspondent & historian www.sunlive.co.nz

Boxing has been a hot topic in the media in the last few weeks, attracting plenty negative publicity and a myriad of comments from people that have little knowledge of the sport.

Over the year, boxing has changed many young men's and women's lives through the disciplines of the sport, both in and out of the ring.

One man on a crusade to make a difference in young people's lives is former Boxing New Zealand amateur champion Billy Graham.

Billy by his own admission was a bit of a scallywag, until he came under the guidance of legendary Hutt Valley boxing trainer Dick Dunn.

In his book, ‘Your Ship Came in the Day the Doctor Smacked Your Bum', Billy states that he would have been born on the wrong side of the tracks - if his mates hadn't stolen the tracks first.

Mr Dunn, as he was called by all his young boxers until invited to call him Dick in their older years, was old-school, who didn't drink or smoke or use bad language and believed in hard work to achieve results.

Under Dick Dunn's tutelage, Billy Graham won four New Zealand Light-Welterweight amateur titles and also annexed an Australasian title in 1967.

Billy has a unique place in New Zealand amateur boxing history as the only boxer to win the Jameson Belt (most scientific), Bill O'Connor Cup (youngest senior titleholder) and the Parker Memorial Trophy (best losing performance) during his career.

I have known Billy Graham for nearly 30 years through my involvement in amateur boxing administration in our country.

It would be fair to say that Billy is one of the most colourful characters that I have ever met in my seven decades on this earth.

Billy went on after his days in the ring, to fashion out a career as a motivational speaker, who uses many of his life experiences to motivate people.

Bold, humorous and brimming over with energy and enthusiasm, Billy is passionate about inspiring people to increase their potential.

A penchant for wearing vividly coloured jackets at his world-wide speaking engagements, sees Billy well remembered by many that he has delivered his inspirational oratories to over time.

His compassion for people is well summed up on the back of one of his old business cards that I have kept for many years.

'There so much good in the worst of us, so much bad in the best of us, that it doesn't do anyone of us to talk about the rest of us” – Billy's Nana.

A number of years ago, Billy set up the Billy Graham Youth Foundation to utilize boxing skills to change young people's lives.

Billy's vision has two goals. 1) to change young people's lives and enable them to become Champion People. 2) to develop Master Coaches from our Champion People to carry on enabling others.

The Billy Graham Youth Foundation, that kicked off with the Naenae Boxing Academy, has grown in the last decade to include the Cannons Creek (Porirua) BA, Mid-Canterbury BA, Wairarapa BA and Western Bay of Plenty's own Tauranga Boxing Academy.

The main activities of the five Billy Graham Youth Foundation Boxing Academies, are teaching youth life-skills, through participation in the discipline of boxing and physical fitness.

The objectives are achieved through eight core values of – Respect, Responsibility, Compassion, Consideration, Kindness, Duty, Obedience and Honesty & Truth.

Joining Billy Graham and his people, are numerous amateur boxing gyms throughout the country that take young men and women, often from the wrong side of the tracks, to emerge as better citizens when they move on.