(Omaha, Nebraska) – Former Wind River Reservation resident Markus Thunder Jr. has made strides in boxing since starting two years ago.
The 13-year-old boxes at the gym of Terence “Bud” Crawford, a two-time undisputed World Champion and youth leader.
“He’s overall just a good person,” Markus said about Bud. “(I’ve) seen him accomplish so much in Omaha. It gives us all hope that we can (too). I look up to him a lot.”
Markus wants to become a professional boxer like Bud, so he boxes daily to hone his skills.
His favorite thing to do is sparring, which is a training technique between two boxers, where they work on punches and footwork, among other things.
His mom, Michelle Shakespeare, said it’s important to support your children in any way that you can.
“Even just being present, sitting, listening to what they’re interested in; paying attention, trying to learn.”
She shared about Markus’s determination to continue his path to professional boxing by taking the city buses for about an hour to get to the gym after her car was stolen.
“He motivates me sometimes,” she said. “Just seeing how determined he is, and I’m just so proud of him because he has a lot of integrity.”
When they left the Wind River Reservation, Markus was just a tot, but they still have numerous relatives here and visit as often as possible.
You can check out Markus’s boxing on his YouTube Channel here.