When Keith Werfelman heard about a boxing gym opening in his hometown of Mokena, created to support those in addiction recovery through physical exercise, he knew he had to join.
“I’ve never seen that before,” Werfelman said. “I prefer doing that over a regular workout gym because I don’t want to get buff; I just want to be healthy. I was reading about it and I thought, ‘That’s perfect for me because I have a history of drinking, and I went through some tough situations recently and I was drinking a lot.’”
Werfelman, 57, said he visits BVL Boxing Solutions at 9620 Willow Lane about four times a week. Coming to the gym keeps him motivated and excited to work out, as exercise has helped curb his cravings for alcohol, he said.
“Just a big part of it is taking that time away from drinking,” he said. “If I’m active, just feels more positive than just sitting around.”
Owner Joe Leonard said he created the gym for people like Werfelman, who are facing darkness or addiction and looking for a way to channel their emotions into working out and recovering.
About a week after Werfelman started coming to BVL, Leonard said he could already see the positive effect working out had on his life.
“What we’re doing works,” Leonard said. “Once we kind of get that message out about what this place actually is, then people are more willing to come in.”
The idea for BVL Boxing Solutions, named in honor of his older brother, Brian Victor Leonard Jr., began just three weeks before Brian died from what his family believes was a fentanyl overdose in March 2024.
Joe decided to make the gym a reality.
Brian Leonard, a passionate boxer, was a mentor and coach at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago, where he helped disadvantaged youth channel their emotions and find healing through exercise. The brothers envisioned a similar concept for the gym — a place where those who have completed rehabilitation but are still battling addiction can come to work out.
Leonard said the gym is open to anyone, regardless of addiction, who seek healing through exercise, community or simply a good workout.
Leonard launched the gym with support from his father, Brian Leonard Sr., and his uncle, Glenn Leonard, who has taught boxing for more than 20 years.
Once Leonard found a location in Mokena within his budget, he said opening the gym was simply a matter of buying and setting up the equipment, and marketing the business with help from the nonprofit Heroin Epidemic Relief Organization. His sister, Mary Leonard, designed the gym’s logo and created marketing materials, including a brochure.
Within two weeks of opening Jan. 15, Joe Leonard said the gym already has several members who workout a few nights a week.
“You don’t have to be in recovery, this is just a place for you to come to be part of a good community,” he said. “You don’t have to come in here and fight, you don’t have to be intimidated. We do a lot of things here because we want to show that we’re here for everyone.”
Memberships include full access to the gym and workout classes held on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
“Come in here and try it out, feel it out. And just get healthy. That’s our main thing, first and foremost,” Leonard said. “And then, if they need more time than that, we’ll give them another month. It’s not like you’re cut off or anything, we’re going to work with you.”
Frankfort resident Mario Ferreira said he visits the gym almost daily.
“Boxing was part of growing up, like my whole family are boxing fans,” Ferreira said. “I grew up watching the sport, so just something that felt fun. It doesn’t feel like a workout. It feels like you’re almost playing a game.”
Gabby Rodriguez, a physical trainer, is at the gym daily and charges a separate fee for her services. Since the gym’s opening, Rodriguez said she has three regular clients.
Rodriguez, who has been boxing since she was 7, said she chose to work at BVL not only because of her love for the sport but also because she connected with the gym’s mission. After watching her sister go through rehab only to relapse after leaving, Rodriguez said the gym’s mission “hit home” for her.
She said her sister was “stuck in the same path” because she left rehab with nothing to keep her busy and focused. Now she hopes to help others find healing and relief through exercise.
The gym is equipped with treadmills, a professional-grade boxing ring and several punching bags. Leonard said he plans to add more features, including punching bags suspended from the ceiling above the ring that can be raised and lowered when in use, as well as a motivational chalkboard where members can post photos and write down their goals and reasons for being there.
Leonard’s longtime friend, John Sommer, who helps out at the gym a few nights a week, said the chalkboard will be a reminder of what “drives” members and why they’re there.
“Everybody who comes here, I feel, has their own personal motivation,” Sommer said.
smoilanen@chicagotribune.com
