In his search for peace, this boxer learnt to fight
Farhaaz grew up angry and confused after his parents' divorce, but his boxing career is what brought his family together again.
Farhaaz Sayed doesn’t back down from a fight. Filled with immense power, he’s one of the top welterweight champions in the Western Cape. That’s why his opponents call him ‘Super Sayed’. “When I’m in the ring, I feel fearless,” he says. But despite his strength, stamina, and numerous accolades, there was once an aspect of Sayed’s life that rendered him helpless.
At the age of six, his parents’ divorce took its toll on him. Sayed struggled to steady himself as he moved between homes and schools. “I felt lost,” he says. “I was very angry.” So when Sayed took up boxing, the punching bag became the perfect target for his emotions. “I forgot about the pain,” he says. With the balance he found in the ring, Sayed realised he had the potential to turn professional. He finally took the plunge after winning a match at the Wynberg Military Base in 2019. But throughout his career, there’s been more to the discipline than just fighting.
“It’s about bringing my family together,” Sayed says. With his coach and fellow contenders at Brice’s Boxing Academy, he’s found belonging and stability. “Boxing changed me a lot,” Sayed says. Now he’s using his ring of trust to uplift kids at the St Francis Care Centre by teaching boxing. Under his mentorship, they too are learning to roll with the punches.
Can boxing bring you peace? Watch Farhaaz Sayed's story below:
IMAGE: Beautiful News