OUR STORY

At the height of COVID, in the winter of 2021, I found myself in a small rural community in the southwest corner of my maternal homeland, Jamaica. What was meant to be a two-week vacation turned into a four-and-a-half-month adventure.

My son Lucas—then 17—and our friend and boxing trainer, William Quinteros, were with me. Lucas had recently discovered boxing, and it had helped guide him through a challenging time in his life—his story to tell. Every afternoon at 3:30, Lucas and William trained together in the local sports park.

On the first day, a few local kids stopped to watch. Word spread quickly. By the second day there were half a dozen. By the end of the second week, there were 30 kids showing up daily, and the Treasure Beach Youth Boxing Initiative was born.

Four months later, there were no champions crowned—but something far more important had become clear. Something we all instinctively know from our own childhoods: kids need sport. Any sport can help, but what we learned—something William has known for years—is that boxing cuts through in a unique way.

It teaches discipline and respect. It builds self-esteem. It demands dedication and hard work. And above all, it creates a sense of community—one that, once it holds you, you don’t want to let go of.

I had already come to believe that we are not on the right side of youth mental health. I had seen it through my son’s journey, through William’s years of training young people, and now through the remarkable transformation of an entire community simply looking for something meaningful to do.

I returned from Jamaica determined to make something more of that experience.

The 13th Round launched in mid-2022 in a converted warehouse on Geary Street in Toronto. In a busy but focused two and a half years, 470 kids came through our program—one built on the principles of this sport, combined with life-skills training, a warm meal, tutoring, and access to social-work support. It has only grown from there.

I’ve spent my career building companies from the ground up. This has been my most successful venture to date—not by traditional measures of profit, but by its impact on young lives at a moment when it can make the greatest difference.

I look forward to having you join us on this journey.

Trust me—it will make you smile.

Bruce + Will