As Joe Leonard drove home with his older brother, Brian Leonard Jr., who spent weekdays battling a severe fentanyl addiction at the rehab center and weekends staying with Joe, an idea formed. With Brian’s weekend visits offering a brief escape from his relentless struggle with fentanyl, they envisioned opening a boxing gym to help others facing similar battles.
“We’ve boxed our whole lives. Our whole family’s in boxing,” Joe said. “So we were like, well, why don’t we do something like a boxing gym. It was just an idea.”
Brian Leonard Jr., 38, died March 20. The family is still waiting on the toxicology report, but Joe said he believes Brian overdosed on fentanyl, a highly addictive synthetic opioid commonly added to other substances and sold illegally, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
“We saw what it does, and it’s just an absolutely horrific thing,” Joe said. “But, you know, through all of this we’re trying to find the positives. We’re trying to kind of get everything moving forward and help as many people as we possibly can.”
Brian died just three weeks after the brothers discussed opening a boxing gym, so Joe decided to make the idea a reality.
Brian, a passionate boxer, was a mentor and coach at Mercy Home for Boys and Girls in Chicago, where he taught disadvantaged youth to channel their emotions and find healing through exercise. The brothers envisioned a similar concept for the gym, where those who may have finished rehabilitation but are still engaged in a lifelong battle with addiction can come to workout, Joe said.
Joe said the gym will cater to “people who have graduated rehab, that are looking to continue their healing in physical exercises.” Before Brian died, Joe said they frequently worked out together to help Brian with his addiction.
“There’s a 60% to 70% reduction in people going back to drugs if they’re in a solid workout regimen,” he said.
Joe’s father, Brian Leonard Sr., said he remembers how working out helped his son, offering a few minutes of solace from his constant battle with addiction.
“Brian, during his recovery, used to do this workout with his brother Joe, and two weeks before he died, (they) worked out for like, two hours,” Leonard Sr. said. “His passion was that we should take this workout and offer it to people in recovery. And because it, you know, just gave him a few minutes of relief.”
With support from his father and his uncle, Glenn Leonard, who has taught boxing for more than 20 years, Joe worked tirelessly to launch the gym, targeting an ambitious opening in November or December, he said.
While he has not yet chosen a facility, Joe said he plans to open the gym in Tinley Park because of the village’s proximity to surrounding rehab centers, he said. Tinley Park is also situated near Orland Park, where Joe and Brian grew up.
“But it’s not just geared towards someone that’s in addiction recovery,” Brian Leonard Sr. said. “It’s catered for anyone that’s kind of in some darkness.”
“Realistically, whether you have an addiction or not, you know, it’s something that we all need,” Joe said.
The gym is called BVL boxing solutions, named after Brian Victor Leonard Jr. While the gym is a nonprofit relying solely on donations, Joe said he will offer memberships starting at $65 a month once they open.
“We’re still kind of checking that number, but it seems to be where it’s going to be at,” he said.
Joe said those interested in supporting the gym can donate online at www.bvlboxingsolutions.com. Donations will be used to offer a free month for new members who may have just gotten out of rehab and need time to sort out their finances, he said.
Though still in the early stages, Joe said he envisions a boxing gym with a main ring, flanked by eight to ten punching bags, speed bags and jump ropes. The facility will also include standard workout equipment such as treadmills and weightlifting gear.
They also hope to offer boxing classes and personal training sessions to gym members.
For Joe and his family, working toward opening the boxing gym has served as a meaningful outlet for their grief, allowing them to honor Brian’s memory and keep his spirit alive.
“It’s definitely brought our family and friends a lot closer. And it’s really cool to see how in such a very, very hard time, how much light and positivity can kind of come out of a situation,” Joe said. “It’s just one thing that really keeps us all going. It proves that, he’ll never be gone.”
smoilanen@chicagotribune.com
