Dale Youth Academy, a boxing gym in London, has a rich history of producing world-renowned champions. However, the gym’s history is tragically linked to the Grenfell Tower, a 23-storey tower block that was engulfed by a fire on June 14, 2017. The fire resulted in the fatalities of 72 people, making it the deadliest residential fire since World War II. The club used to be located in Grenfell Tower. A public inquiry has been underway since 2018, with its findings expected to be published this week.
For up-and-coming boxer Tommy Murphy, the night of the fire is still a “blur.” Murphy has been a member of Dale Youth Academy since 2010 and went on to become a professional boxer in 2022. Since the fire at Grenfell Tower, the gym has been temporarily located in a disused car park. BBC’s DIY SOS built a permanent gym in Ladbroke Grove that is now home to Dale Youth Academy, situated a stone’s throw away from Grenfell Tower.
Tommy Murphy, Kyle, and Roshan Patel are all gym-goers who want to honour the victims of the tragedy every time they step into the ring. Murphy says he wants to succeed in boxing to preserve the memory of the people who lost their lives in the Grenfell Tower fire.
Kyle, who was only 13 when the fire happened, says that the gym means everything to him and has become his entire identity. Roshan Patel says the fire gave him a reality check and made him cherish the time he spent with his family and friends.
As the public inquiry’s report into the fire is expected to be published soon, the boxers of Dale Youth Academy hope that the community will finally get the answers it needs. “If you know people from Ladbroke Grove, the way that we’re bred, we’re stubborn,” Tommy says. “If people want answers, they’ll get them and people won’t stop until they get them.
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