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***image1***Some people decide to take on challenging tasks such as hiking, climbing or biking to control their energy and maintain their focus, but Staff Sgt. Jake Green preferred to take it to the next level by winning the U.S. Forces Armed Championships heavyweight boxing division at Wiesbaden Air Field, Army Post April 27.
Sergeant Green is a Phoenix Raven with the 786th Security Forces Squadron at Sembach Annex.
The Denver native began his boxing career at Ellsworth Air Force Base, S.D., more than seven years ago and was motivated from the start. He had the support of his family and a few skeptics, but it only fueled his motivation to be the best boxer possible.
Sergeant Green picked up the gloves as soon as he arrived at Sembach in 2005 and began training with the KMC boxing team and a group of mixed martial artists in the area.
“I have always been athletic, but boxing is by far one of the toughest sports I have ever participated in,” said Sergeant Green. “Winning or losing is all on you and how much effort you put into each match is on you.”
Dedication and mental toughness are what Sergeant Green finds as the hardest aspects but are the key elements to succeeding in boxing.
“It’s waking up in the morning and getting out of bed to run for three to eight miles while everyone else is still asleep,” said Sergeant Green. “Going to the gym three times a day and training for a couple of hours – even though you are still exhausted, it is what you have to do.”
He puts everything he has into his training. It is crucial because he flies with all DOD
airframes wherever the U.S Air Forces in Europe needs support.
“If you win, you know you did it all on your own and if you lose, you have no one to blame but yourself,” said Sergeant Green on his championship bout. “Going into the fight, I doubted myself because I didn’t know anything about who I was fighting, except for that he had more experience than I did,” said the 6-foot, one-inch, 184-pound boxer while preparing himself for what was about to be his toughest fight.
“After the first round, I asked myself what I was doing in the heavyweight division, but I knew I was here for one thing and that was to fight,” said Sergeant Green.
The fight lasted all four rounds and came down to a judges’ 5-0 unanimous decision which declared Sergeant Green the heavyweight champion.
“The tournaments are only held once a year, but the Army puts on monthly competitions called smokers that are open to all active-duty military personnel and DOD civilians,” he said. “Depending on my work schedule, I will try to compete.”
But for now, all Sergeant Green wants to do is enjoy what he has accomplished by winning the U.S. Forces Armed Championships heavyweight division.
