BOUNTIFUL—Andrew Scott went from never having put on boxing gloves to becoming a two-time National Golden Gloves of Utah champion. Scott is the franchise owner and operations manager at Legends Boxing in Bountiful and Orem. The Bountiful gym opened about a year ago.

“I actually started boxing to lose weight,” said Scott. “In my early 20s I had gained significant weight when I moved to Utah. I was in the 240 pound weight range. I usually walked around at 180 pounds.”

Scott came from a background in automotives and was originally from California. “It was 2008 and I wasn’t able to find work,” he said. “I moved to Utah alone and my brother introduced me to boxing. That was the first time in my life. It was something he and I could do together.” 

Once Scott got established, he brought his family out. “I stopped boxing all together,” he said. “I didn’t notice I was putting on weight. It happens to all of us. I was an account manager and I joined classes after shift. I went from 240 down to 213 in a three week time frame. I won my first match and I fell in love.”

Scott knew he had a passion for coaching after the first fight. “When the owner went out of town he put me in charge of a class,” he said. “Deep in my heart I knew I wanted to show people what I was talking about.”

He was competing and winning through 2010 – 2013. “I won over 20 matches. I’m proud of that,” said Scott. “I retired from competitive boxing to focus on coaching full time. I still love it to this day. The change you see in someone, the confidence, the way they carry themselves, the relationships you develop, this is the way I always wanted to feel. That’s what gets me up in the morning.”

Andrew Scott gets his first win at the National Golden Gloves of Utah tournament. Scott started boxing to lose weight.

That’s what Legends Boxing is all about, he said. “It feels much like the show ‘Cheers,’ a place where people notice you. Not a place where nobody cares if you're there or won’t give you the time of day until you make something of yourself.”

Legends Boxing is non intimidating, said Scott. “We accept everyone no matter what skill level you are. When you walk in the door we become friends with you. We’ve had marriages from people who have met at the gym.”

It can be nerve racking to have a boxing coach standing in front of you, he said. “We have fun and teach you at your own pace. People start to smile as the sweat starts pouring and they know they’re working hard. We have a good time.”

In addition to regular boxing they have a Rock Steady program that caters to people with Parkinson’s Disease. “They’re all called fighters,” said Scott. “Their daily fight cannot be put into words.”

There have been studies of normal exercise and boxing exercise, he said. “Boxing gives you coordination through drills, breathing and core strength that helps reduce the effects of Parkinson’s Disease.”

They have a better quality of life, said Scott. “It’s amazing to see and watch the transition. They walk in with a walker or cane and six months later they throw it away and go back to work again.”

Scott is at the gym from 6 a.m. to 6 p.m. “I’m hands on every single day,” he said. “I’ve seen boxing change lives physically and mentally. This gives people a safe environment to come and feel like they belong.”

Legends Boxing is located at 155 W. 500 South #1A in Bountiful.