Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Saenz, Victoria Serrano and Rita Valeriano.
Boxing is like life in some ways. You get knocked down at times, and you may want to throw in the towel, but it is the strength from within that makes you get back up and go another round. Rita, a former professional boxer, was raising three kids on her own after going through a divorce. Her children Jonathan, Victoria and David Saenz, knew it was tough and throughout their teen years, life kept throwing punches that caused some family drawbacks. Victoria decided to face the world on her own as a young high-school mother. Jonathan and David both enlisted in the Armed Forces after high-school. After being away from her family for five years, Victoria reunited with her mother in 2012. The Saenz brothers served tours overseas. After returning home from active duty, Jonathan eventually graduated from TCU in 2015, and David graduated from Pilot training in 2016, but it was the love of boxing that fostered the idea behind the family starting a boxing club that would serve the local community.
TKO was founded by Fort Worth resident, Jonathan. His mother o operated a small boxing program exclusively for women in the backyard of her home. Rita’s dream was to have an all-female boxing gym that would allow women to achieve their own dreams. She wanted to create a reliable training environment exclusively for women to box and exercise in a safe and fun environment that would challenge those women to be greater. In late 2015, she was introduced to the inaugural UnitedWay of Tarrant County “Kernel” program during an event for the students of the TCU Neely School of Business. That event caused him to realize that Tarrant County had two significant issues– the health and the education of our youth. Kernel was looking for innovative solutions to these problems, so based in part on his mother’s dream, Jonathan founded TKO; except, TKO’s mission was expanded beyond her dream to include making a more significant impact in the community and to provide an outlet that deals with these issues proactively.
Through a veteran assistance organization called Texas Lawyers for Texas Veterans, Jonathan was placed with Kelly Hart & Hallman LLP, a Fort Worth law firm that listened to his dream and agreed to represent him on a pro-bono basis in the formation of TKO. In January 2017, the law firm assisted him in forming the first all-girls Code Section 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization devoted to helping girls overcome the struggles of obesity through the art of boxing in Tarrant County. A board with members who shared a passion for creating a positive impact in the community was assembled, and fundraising efforts were undertaken that ultimately led to TKO opening the doors to its facility in May 2017. TKO then began addressing these issues by engaging girls in physical fitness through boxing disciplines.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Social entrepreneurship, to me, means strategic resilience. This is necessary for tackling the strategic endeavors of pioneering problems in the community. In other words, there have been many issues and struggles, although this is typical in all startups, so we must be resilient in overcoming the many more obstacles sure to come. With this in mind, issues such as fundraising and a lack of administrative support seem less daunting and the road ahead smoother
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Total K.O. Boxing Club (TKO) is unique and one-of-a-kind health and education initiative in Fort Worth. TKO is currently operational and working with Tarrant County youth. TKO’s proposed Spring pilot ‘non-contact’ youth boxing program with the educational component will begin in January 2018.
Mother-daughter team Rita and Victoria teach boxing lessons, making sure members get at least one hr. of physical activity, whether it consists of hitting mitts with a former professional boxer or punching heavy bags alongside motivator Victoria. We are confident that with the training and discipline our programs provide, young ladies will increase in: health, wellness, self-esteem, and character. As the first “all-girls” boxing club in Tarrant County, our innovative programs provide at-risk youth a fun alternative to daily negative influences.
Meanwhile, being in a safe and positive environment free from outside distractions, such as social-media or bullying. In other words, TKO uses boxing training and techniques to enact lifestyle changes that encourage physical fitness. According to a report from the Children’s Hospital Association of Texas, “As of 2007, national surveys show that 32% of Texas children between the ages of 10 and 17 are overweight or obese.”
TKO strives’ to incorporate innovative solutions to address these needs through boxing trainers, tutors, and mentors. “I know how it is to be out of shape. I will be these girls’ mentor, and show them how good “strong” can make them feel!” –Victoria Serrano, Executive Director
Other amenities to the club include school tutoring for its members at its renovated facility, which provides for new workout equipment, a locker room, and an area for student-athletes to do homework.
“I think this is a great place for young girls that get out of school, or mothers who may be taking care of her kids while attending college. Not only will we provide healthy resources but we are here to support their educational endeavors as well.” -Jonathan Saenz, President & Founder
Contact Info:
- Address: 3000 Cullen St.
Suite B
Fort Worth, Texas 76107 - Website: tkoboxingclub.org
- Phone: 469-844-0447
- Email: info@tkoboxingclub.org
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/totalkoboxing
Getting in touch: VoyageDallas is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.
