A teenager from Harrow has been honoured with a prestigious sporting award after raising more than £20,000 in memory of his late grandfather.
Nineteen-year-old John Horohoe decided to take on a physical challenge to honour his grandad, who passed away following a lengthy battle with Parkinson’s. He competed in a charity boxing event in Watford, organised by Ultra White Collar Boxing (UWCB), after undergoing eight weeks of free training.
John has now been named Ultra White Collar Boxing Top Fundraiser of the Year after raising £17,086.61 (£20,561 with gift aid) for Cure Parkinson’s, a charity funding research into treatments for the disease.
“My grandad Johnny was 82 when he died last June after several years living with Parkinson’s,” said John. “I decided I wanted to do something, and this felt like the right thing as it was a physical challenge, but raising money for a charity to help other people with Parkinson’s at the same time.”
Ultra White Collar Boxing provides participants with eight weeks of free training in exchange for a pledge to raise at least £50 for a charity of their choice. Watford events have so far raised over £650,000 for various charities.
John, a carpenter working for his family business Horohoe Construction, completed his training and stepped into the ring at Watford Leisure Centre Woodside, cheered on by hundreds of spectators, including family, friends, and colleagues.
“It was an incredible night and such an amazing experience going into the ring,” said John, a former St Joan of Arc School pupil. “I won my fight – it couldn’t have gone any better!
“To then be told that I had won the Top Fundraiser of the Year award for the whole of UWCB was brilliant. Raising money to help find a cure for Parkinson’s was really important to me and my family. They are really proud of me for what I have achieved.
“I’d encourage anyone thinking about signing up to take part to just go for it. I met lots of good people, and some have become friends. It was also a good test for my body and for my mental health, and I enjoyed it so much I’m carrying on boxing. I would recommend it to anyone.”
Jon Leonard, who runs Ultra Events, praised John’s efforts. “John is a truly inspirational character, and his award is very well deserved. He has raised an incredible amount of money for a charity that is clearly close to his heart, that will no doubt help countless people in the future.”
The next Ultra White Collar Boxing event will take place at Watford Leisure Centre Woodside on April 26, 2025, with training starting on March 3.
To sign up or find out more, visit Ultra White Collar Boxing.
Chris Mitchell is the founder and editor of Harrow Online, Harrow’s leading local news platform.
He launched Harrow Online in 2010 as a Facebook page sharing local news and information. Since then, it has grown into a trusted source for breaking news, crime, council decisions, planning, transport, business and community stories across the borough.
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