Perseverance and dedication in the boxing ring took Maple Ridge's Rick Funk around the world, sometimes sparring with world-class opponents.
Rick, who attended Yennadon Elementary and Maple Ridge Secondary and graduated from Garibaldi Secondary, started boxing at the age of 12.
After a few street fights, he was encouraged to try out boxing to channel his fighting spirit.
The first time he was in the ring, he thought he was tough. But he quickly learned that boxing is more than fighting—it’s an art and a skill.
Rick went on to win just about every boxing tournament and best boxer award across Western Canada as a junior.
Rick’s boxing career came to a screeching halt, though, when his right hand was severely injured in a car accident. After a three-and-a- half month stay in hospital, he was ready to fight again—despite the advice of his doctors.
"This is my chance to prove to everyone I was right," he said.
After his accident, he won the Junior BC Golden Gloves and a silver medal in nationals in 1987. In 1988, he won the U19 provincial championships and got a silver in the U19 nationals.
In both 1987 and 1988, he received the Jimmy Symes Top Boxer of BC award.
In 1989, boxing took him abroad. He competed for Team Canada
in the U19 "A" team in San Juan, Puerto Rico, continuing on to box in the Dominican Republic and Italy, where he won a contested bout. Despite his hand giving him problems, Rick still went on to compete in the U19 world junior championships, reaching the quarter-finals and obtaining fourth in the world ranking.
Finally in 1989, despite pressure to go professional, he hung up his gloves for good.
Rick is grateful to his three coaches for helping him in the ring—each one contributing in a different way: Wally Hill, Glyn Jones, and John Skanks. John was an "amazing technical coach," who taught Rick the finer aspects of boxing, making him into a finished, polished fighter, which gave him that edge to win.
"It’s so important to believe in yourself—to have perseverance and dedication," Rick said.
Being in the boxing ring taught Rick that to be the best, you have to earn it.
"Hard work overcomes talent every day of the week," Rick said.