On Monday 19th June, more than 500 young people from eight schools nearby Serpentine Jarrahdale Community Recreation Centre were treated to a motivational speech from champion boxer Danny Green.
Generously funded by the Shire of Serpentine Jarrahdale and organised by the YTime team at the centre, the event aimed to inspire young people to stand up for what they believe in and what they’re passionate about.
Following the Green Machine’s talk, members from the YTime Youth Advisory Committee asked insightful questions about his journey, his hard work and his commitment over the years. Hear what Danny had to say below:
“I always watched those guys on TV fighting and thought ‘that’s what I want to be, that’s what I’m going to be when I’m older, I never thought it would happen – it was a dream, but in the back of my mind subconsciously I gravitated towards it.
I think the key has been working hard.
You have to work very hard in anything you do, you’ve got to put in the hours it takes to get to that position.
For me, I had to train hard, I had to work very hard, I had to push through immense pain barriers, I had to go without a lot of things.
When we were younger my mates all went out to nightclubs, I didn’t do that.
I was at home, I was training, I was running around the block, I was eating the right food and getting to bed at the right time!
I was doing what I had to do because it was about sacrifice.
I went without some things in order to get what I wanted and what I wanted was a world title.
I went without a lot of things to get that world title.
You have to give up things to get what you want – you can’t have it all.
But if you want something bad enough you’ll give up everything to get it.
It doesn’t really matter – I wouldn’t change what I did at all! I worked hard and I listened to good advice
I was smart enough to listen to good advice, I had good people around me and I thought I knew it all (as most young people do) but I listened to good advice and listened to people around me.
That’s one thing I’ve told my children, know when good advice is being given, listen to it and ask questions.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, because the more you learn the better off you are.”