“Inspirational” ambassador for young people going for gold at European Games.
An ambassador for young people in the West Midlands who used boxing to turn his life around will represent Great Britain in the Super Heavyweight division at the 2019 Minsk European Games next month.
Frazer Clarke, is passionate about helping young people to reach their full potential. The 27-year-old was stabbed three times in his leg and neck in an incident in 2016 following a night out with friends. Turning adversity into triumph, he focused on developing his talent for boxing and now uses his experience as the basis for inspirational talks to help young disadvantaged people achieve something with their lives.
He said: “That night was a serious wake-up call. I was lucky enough to have a sport that gave me a focus and a lifestyle that changed by life. If I can use my success to pass on my experience and make a difference to young lives, then it’s all worthwhile.”
Speaking to disadvantaged individuals about the positive impact sport can have on the lives of young people, in 2018 he became an ambassador for Workpays, an organisation which exists to support young people and adults to develop the skills needed to gain and sustain employment.
Helen Richardson, Chief Executive Officer of Workpays, said: “Frazer is a real inspiration to all young people who have struggled in mainstream education. “We are really excited for him. He is a fantastic supporter of what we do and has made a huge difference to some of our students. His success is testament to what can be achieved with the right support and we will all be rooting for him in Minsk.”
Workpays offer traineeships and innovative study and employability programmes to young people struggling to find employment from their centres in Derbyshire, Leicestershire, Northamptonshire, Bedfordshire, Warwickshire, Coventry, Worcestershire and the Black Country.
Frazer, who was born in Burton On Trent, already has a silver medal, achieved at the 2017 European Championships, under his belt. He also scooped a gold medal in the 2018 Commonwealth Games. His dream is to represent Team GB at the Tokyo Olympic Games in 2020. Successes at the European Games will firmly place him as a strong contender.
People can follow Frazer’s journey and support him in his attempt to win gold on the Workpays Facebook page or by following the Minsk games, which will be held in the Belarussian capital from 21 to 30 June.
For more information about Workpays, visit www.workpays.co.uk.
