Champion for Charity John Deans channels his inner Stallone for The Brawl at Tapestry Hall
By Jeff Hicks
The lion on the big screen roared.
Little John Deans, almost 6, settled back into his lumpy Londonderry cinema seat beside his mom Alison and grabbed a mitt-full of buttery popcorn.
One word crawled across the screen, 10-storeys high it seemed, while Bill Conti’s iconic Italian Stallion fanfare rang in the young soda-slurping boy’s Irish ears.
R-O-C-K-Y.
“Who hasn’t seen Rocky?” asked Deans, now the 53-year-old vice-president, construction & business development, at SG Cunningham in Waterloo.
“Who doesn’t remember that first movie? He was my hero.”
So, nearly a half-century later, Deans is ready to step into the boxing ring for the first time as one of Mandy Bujold’s 20 Champions for Charity — two teams of caring business leaders and community professionals fighting to fundraise for McMaster Children’s Hospital.
Finally, Deans is Rocky. Not Steve Austin, his other bionic hero from the 1970’s.
Superhuman boxing courage trumps superhuman bionic strength.
Why did it take so long to slip on a pair of trunks and boxing gloves?
Deans has six million regrets about that — and some serious scars on his right hand that complicated his debut in the sweet science circus.
Nothing will stop him. Not last year’s major surgery to rebuild two tendons.
Viking’s Disease no longer has a gruesome grip on permanently-flexed fingers.
Old friend and Champions for Charity alumni Jeff McIntyre, president of the Grand Valley Construction Association, inspired him to go to the Champions tryouts last fall.
Deans saw McIntyre fight at last year’s event.
“I had no idea how great the event was going to be,” Deans said.
Deans was so smitten with the tryout experience, he felt like the little boy in the theatre wrapped up in the story of an underdog fighter who loses it all but wins our hearts.
“I had to do this at all costs,” said Dean, who Billy Elliot-ed his way through a local Dancing With the Stars charity event for Easter Seals last year.
So, after nearly 15 weeks of training, Johnny Irish “The Punching Paddy” Deans has finally arrived in the Blue Team corner as the Champions have raised $610,000 and counting for MacKids.
“I absolutely love boxing,” said Deans, who came to Canada in 1989 as an apprentice carpenter for the business started and owned by his uncle, George Cunningham.
“I’ve always been a fan of watching the sport. I’ve always thought I could do it. I regret leaving it this long to get started. It’s definitely something I’m going to continue with.”
But first, the Brawl at Tapestry Hall is almost upon us.
Deans doesn’t want to be a fall guy on fight night.
He’s got his wife — named Alison like his mom — and their blended families behind him. His daughter Rachel just graduated from Dalhousie University for kinesiology.
David works for his uncle at a local mechanical supply company.
His stepdaughters are Elise and Amy. Deans wants to do all the kids proud in the ring.
He’s got other motivation too. Thirty years ago, his cousin was treated for a heart issue at McMaster. Recently, his good friends in Elmira have a teenage daughter, Kenzie, who was recently diagnosed with leukemia. They’re at McMaster a lot.
“I can’t imagine what they’re going through.” said Deans, who got a bracelet from the hospital for all hospital patients that serves as a reminder of why the Champions are doing this.
“When I look at that, it just keeps me going no matter what.”
On Fight Night, Deans will not enter the ring to a tune from U2 or Van Morrison or The Chieftains. Nothing Irish, like Danny Boy, for him. Not even Gonna Fly Now from Rocky.
Instead, the Electronic Dance Music fan will stroll out to an Avicii anthem from the late Swedish DJ.
“I’ve been a raver all my life,” Deans said.
On April 4, he’ll be a boxer. Finally.
www.champsforcharity.ca
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