Photo by Susannah Moore
Troy Isley at the Alexandria Boxing Club
For Alexandrian Troy Isley, making it to the Olympic games in Tokyo this summer was “a dream come true” and the “best two weeks of his life,” he said.
While he may not be bringing home a medal, his hometown is no less proud of the example he has set for the next generation of Alexandrians.
When you meet Isley, he possesses the humility of a man who knows that he didn’t make it to this point in life by himself. While he certainly put in his fair share of blood, sweat, tears and hard work over the years, without the support of his family and the Alexandria Boxing Club, he could have just as easily fallen through the cracks.
Isley admitted he actually got into boxing after getting into more than a few fights as a kid.
“I would come here [Charles Houston Recreation Center] every day after school as a kid – here and the Boys and Girls Club. I was always fighting. Every day my dad would pick me up and I’d be in time out or the corner for a fight,” Isley explained. It was a staff member who suggested he try the Alexandria Boxing Club as a way to channel his energy.
As a 9-year-old who simply wanted to be a kid, Isley said that boxing was a time-consuming sport but the second family he made through the club and the coaches who mentored him that kept him coming back.
One of the highlights of the Olympics was meeting some of the basketball players he had watched on TV growing up including Damian Lillard and Zach LaVine.
Isley said that one of the things that made the experience even more special was remembering how far he has come from a kid who dreamed of going to the Olympics. “It definitely felt good. I was honored to inspire hope in these tough times. If feel like it just gave the kids hope. Even the kids training in here [Alexandria Boxing Club] or a kid outside who is doing something else. The kids know now that they can make it to the top of whatever they are trying to do. They can make it as well,” Isley explained.
A handful of teachers who believed in him from his days as a student in Alexandria public schools reached out to him when he was at the Olympics to tell them how proud they were of him, which Isley said made him feel good.
Isley is incredibly grateful to the coaches at Alexandria Boxing Club for being there for him, including Coach Jeffrey "Steady" Johnson, Coach Kay Koroma and the late Coach Dennis "DP" Porter “They always had my back, whatever I decided to do, even if I wasn’t boxing. I felt their support beyond the gym, they were like fathers.”
“They always believed I could beat anybody at my best ability. Whenever I have them in my corner, I always fight with a different type of confidence,” Isley explained. It was that confidence that helped him win first place at Nationals in 2016.
Johnson reminisced on Isley’s first fight as a kid (which apparently ended with a loss and tears) and what it has felt like to follow Isley’s transformation over the years. “That’s the moment that it came full circle for me, because I was at his first fight and then I’m at his first elite [fight],” he explained.
Photo courtesy of Alexandria Boxing Club
Troy Isley meets with students from Lyles-Crouch Elementary School in 2018.
Dara Shen, a long-time member of The Alexandria Boxing Club with an impressive boxing career of her own, spoke up to explain just what makes Isley so special. “He is a very exciting fighter…. When it’s Troy’s turn to get in the ring, everything gets quiet, everyone comes over to his ring to watch.” She explained how it took time, but around age 14 or 15, Isley started winning everything and he was hooked.
Isley nodded in agreement with a grin, another example of his humility. “He has a nickname ‘Transformer’ because he’s like this quiet, humble guy — but when he gets in the ring he’s a complete beast,” Shen said.
Isley isn’t all muscles and punches. When not training, he enjoys shopping for tennis shoes, playing basketball, video games and sightseeing. He is a huge fan of Chipotle and any type of pasta. His favorite spot in Alexandria is along the waterfront or wandering around Old Town.
While the Olympics may be over, Isley is just getting started. He is currently 2-0 in his pro boxing career and he plans to keep progressing and ultimately claim a world title. Despite his success, Isley still makes a point to give back to the community that shaped him, visiting with students from Lyles-Crouch Elementary and Alexandria City High School following his wins at Nationals.
The Alexandria Boxing Club will celebrate Isley and his return from the Olympics on Aug. 19 at 6:30 p.m. at the Charles Houston Recreation Center at 901 Wythe St.
