A North London father of two has achieved his dream of becoming a professional boxer at the age of 47. Ben Caunter, from Barnet, traveled to Tanzania to compete in his first professional fight, which he won, earning the title of Britain's oldest UK boxer.
From Pandemic Hobby to Professional Ring
Ben, a marketing professional, took up boxing during the pandemic to stay fit while navigating a difficult personal life and caring for his two children. What began as an escape soon evolved into a serious pursuit. After participating in a few white-collar boxing matches, he began considering a professional career.
“I don’t have any amateur experience. It was an unrealistic dream, but I imagined what it would be like to have one professional fight in my life. I knew it was unlikely, but I thought I’d try and see,” Ben told MyLondon.
Overcoming Obstacles
Over the past few years, Ben approached organizations and trainers in the UK about obtaining a license, but was told that his lack of amateur experience and age made it unlikely he would be sanctioned as a professional fighter. Undeterred, he took matters into his own hands. “I learnt in the past few years, if you want to make something happen, there’s really only one person that can make it happen and that’s you,” he said.
This determination led him to Tanzania for his first professional bout on May 15, where he emerged victorious. The fight took place in a local sports bar, a modest venue that underscored the journey. “Travelling to Tanzania was an experience. It was nice. It’s a long way to go for 12 minutes of action. The venue wasn’t big, and it put things into perspective,” Ben added.
Inspiring His Children and Others
Ben hopes his story inspires others to pursue their dreams despite setbacks. He recalled a moment when his daughter was disappointed after a failed trial. “I told her that I lost a fight before and won my first professional fight. I told them that I didn’t give up and that I didn’t get disheartened by losing. It is important to show them that you aren’t going to win everything, but that you have to keep working towards it. They’re very proud.”
Balancing training, parenting, and his day job is challenging. “As much as the fight was successful, the main thing was hopefully inspiring others. You have one life, and you need to make the most of it. I am huge on anything that contributes to positive mental health,” he said.
Charity and Future Plans
Ben has raised money for CALM (Campaign Against Living Miserably) through his fights and aims to continue supporting charities that help young people. He now needs more fights to convince the British Boxing Board of Control to grant him a license.
