De'Angelo with a teammate after completing the GW Parkway 5k in April 2010.
I remember when I first saw De’Angelo.
It was early on a Saturday morning. In a room full of unfamiliar faces, there was one set of bright, hopeful eyes looking back at me. When you speak to a big group, those faces make you comfortable, and that’s what De’Angelo does, he comforts. That’s why it’s strange that his profession was the opposite, he was professional boxer, a kind man in a vicious sport.
De’Angelo’s life is full of those ironies.
“I grew up in DC, life was promising as a kid, my family loved boxing and at age six I got started. My older brother and I would watch matches on TV then wrap our hands in socks, use a slice of orange as a mouth guard and go at it. He usually won, but I got tough.”
De’Angelo grew up quickly, by 19 he was ready to turn pro. He had seen boxing matches at the historic Blue Horizon in Philadelphia. He had been to the proving ground, now was his time. The problem was money — gym time costs money — and De’Angelo started selling drugs to afford ring time.
“I didn’t use them, it was just a means, it was easy.”
That easy transition was a slippery slope.
“I got hooked in with a bad promoter, people told me he was bad news, but I was young and stubborn. I got put in some bad fights, then I started drifting away. My life became unmanageable”.
De’Angelo would hold down different jobs, but none for very long. The quicker route was always more attractive and that was where De’Angelo went.
“I made a lot of money selling drugs. I felt if I could get back to boxing, I had some matches left in me.”
Not long after, De’Angelo’s father passed away, from liver cancer, the result of too much alcohol. He turned inward and away from the world, strangely it was the very things that killed his father that De’Angelo turned to.
“I messed up a lot of relationships then, it was important that I stayed involved in my son’s life, but it was hard. I was in and out of employment”.
De’Angelo’s son played a big part in his desire to get sober.
“I didn’t want him to see me like that, I was losing control, and I didn’t want to lose him. I voluntarily entered an inpatient program and that brought me to Clean and Sober Streets”.
After 30 days, De’Angelo heard about Back on My Feet.
“As I heard about it, I thought, ‘I need this!’. I was upset about putting weight and letting my health go, I was on high blood pressure medicine, I needed a change”.
Within weeks, De’Angelo saw his health improving, he had more energy, his confidence began increasing and his doctor soon told him that he could actually stop taking his blood pressure medicine.
“Now I have more interest in my life and those around me. I’m looking better and feeling great. I want to do a triathalon! It’s like a family out there in the morning, it’s really grown on me, we have a great relationship.” He even goes further and almost sheepishly admits.
“I’ve become a health-nut.. Sort of..”
De’Angelo’s enthusiasm is infectious, again it’s hard to imagine him ever hitting anyone. His kindness and caring come through. His smile disarms you, maybe he never needed to raise his arms.
So what was De’Angelo’s record as a boxer?
“I retired undefeated, 2-0” he gushes. Seeing him happy and smiling, it’s clear he’s looking good to keep that streak alive.
No comments