BEHIND THE SCENES: Former gang member uses boxing to help at-risk youth

In each “Behind the Scenes” segment, Village Media's Scott Sexsmith sits down with one of our local journalists to talk about the story behind the story.

These interviews are designed to help you better understand how our community-based reporters gather the information that lands in your local news feed. You can find more Behind the Scenes from reporter across Ontario here. 

Today's spotlight is on SooToday's Alex Flood, whose story — "Former gang member wants to help at-risk youth through boxing" — was published on Aug. 4.

Below is the full story, in case you missed it.

René Chavez has been a fighter his entire life.

Whether he was brawling with enemy gangs in southern Ontario, grappling with drug addiction in the streets, or just simply throwing punches in the boxing ring, fighting is really all he’s ever known.

Now 37 and facing a truly full circle moment in life, Chavez has cleaned up his act and is prepared to fight for and assist at-risk youth through boxing and counselling — right here in Sault Ste. Marie.

While his road to recovery has been complex — and at times nearly fatal — it’s for those reasons that he feels kids resembling his former self would benefit greatly from his mentorship.

Born and raised in Toronto, Chavez encountered the beginnings of a rocky lifestyle in his adolescence shortly after his parents separated.

“There was a lot of violence in the home,” he recalled. “We had to downgrade and move to a lower income neighbourhood. At the time, I was abused — both sexually and physically — so I was really confused and sought refuge in the streets and in sports.”

By the age of 13, Chavez had become involved in gangs with other troubled kids, and he was already carrying a firearm to protect himself.

At 14, he moved to an even more dangerous neighbourhood called Rexdale where things only escalated further.

“It was a big thing; war between different groups of people, and I was sort of caught in the middle,” he explained. “Everything I had seen on TV and movies growing up became a reality. Drive-bys and shootings, people dying. It was a rough upbringing.”

Eventually, Chavez began selling drugs and got more involved with organized crime.

Through this practice, he got addicted himself — first to alcohol, and then to heavier drugs like cocaine and crack cocaine.

Then, in the early 2000s, Chavez became a leader and enforcer of one of the biggest gangs in Toronto at the time. He was part of major gang conflicts and retaliatory shootings until the age of 22 where he witnessed many long-time friends and classmates lose their lives.

“Because I got closer to the people who were in these groups, I became invested,” he said. “Murder and drugs were a really big part of my life as a teenager. And of course, it pulled me away from school and things that were way more important.”

As a result, Chavez spent nearly seven total years in prison.

He was in and out of group homes and rehabilitation programs over the course of his time in Toronto, but a silver lining peered through the chaos of those broken streets: boxing.

Chavez spent a significant amount of time training in the ring and the gym, and he even received coaching from Chris Johnson — Canada’s middleweight bronze medallist at the 1992 Summer Olympics.

“He saw something in me and decided to take me on,” he said. “I actually won provincials in 2012.”

But in that same year, Chavez would begin serving a three-year sentence for gang-related crimes.

During his time in prison, he discovered his faith and sought out a number of mental health and addictions resources in preparation for his release in 2015.

“I wanted to set myself up for a good future, so I moved to Hamilton, got married, and had two kids,” he said. “I thought I had it made, but it was actually a lot harder than I expected. I didn’t quite understand how to be a dad or a husband, and I didn’t know how to be a new Christian.”

Ultimately, this new transition was too much for Chavez to handle, and he ended up relapsing.

“It didn’t take long,” he admitted. “I was right back into the thick of everything. Because of all the things I learned and accomplished, even internally, that made the addiction so much worse. From 2016 to 2020 was a struggle trying to get help; I was in and out of treatment.”

Facing a number of relapses during that period, Chavez earned a college diploma in social services and worked with the John Howard Society — attempting to mend and build relationships with friends and family along the way.

But in 2020, he became homeless after a stint in rehab and was on the streets for two years — addicted and lost.

“I got heavy into the drugs,” he said. “I was not well mentally. I was seeing things and didn’t know exactly what was real and what wasn’t. I was in the hospital three times a week, and it was a cycle I was stuck in.”

“Somehow, I was pulled out of it and returned home to Toronto and was brought back to the idea of getting help,” he added.

Chavez ended up making the big move to the Sault in August 2023 where he joined the Northern Ontario Men’s Centre, also called Teen Challenge North — a faith-based addiction treatment centre that has since relocated to Sudbury.

He’s also received help through the Ken Brown Recovery Home and is currently living in a downtown transition house as part of phase two of the program.

Since moving up north, Chavez is proud to share he’s been clean for almost 365 days.

Recreationally, the avid boxer has been spending nearly every day training with Brent Fryia at Steel City MMA as well as the Sault Boxing Club — an athletics community he’s come to appreciate more than he ever could have imagined.

“It’s awesome,” he said. “I had never really heard of the Sault before coming here, but I knew about Wayne Gretzky. The people here are really friendly. It’s an amazing city.”

With a big smile on his face, Chavez shared that boxing has provided him with additional opportunities to set big goals and discover new purposes in life.

Among the greatest of those goals is a program he intends to create and oversee at Steel City MMA for at-risk youth, which would invite troubled kids to learn how to box and receive one-on-one counselling.

“I think that’s a great way to help people – help them see where my life was, where I’ve gone with it, and how I’ve been able to come out of it,” he said. “With connection, I believe there’s an opportunity to correct certain behaviours and certain ways of lifestyle.”

“It’s about using the sport to facilitate that type of environment where they can build good life skills and learn how to regulate emotions and have a separate community outside of what they’re used to,” he added.

A healthy combination of 12-step programming, along with his church and boxing communities, have allowed Chavez to reach new heights in a city he virtually never heard of a year ago at this time.

While the potential for another relapse always remains a concern for him and his family, Chavez is happy to just take things one day at a time and enjoy his new life in the Sault.

“As much as I’ve failed in so many areas in life, I’ve also accomplished many things,” he said. “Twenty years ago, I never would have thought I’d live to see 37 years old. Most people in my neighbourhood growing up don’t live to see 20, so I’m very grateful.”

“I’m on this earth for a purpose: to help other people, and to also receive help,” he added. “Every day is a blessing, and every day is a gift.”