South African boxing star John Paul Masamba: “I’ve got hidden scars”
Masamba, who is one of South Africa’s top boxing talents, tells Olympics.com how the sport helped, more than therapy, to overcome childhood trauma and manage his anxiety, ahead of his shot at making the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Boxing
No matter how difficult things get in the boxing ring for John Paul Masamba, he has overcome tougher obstacles in life.
The 23-year-old lightweight is one of South Africa’s top talents, bamboozling opponents with his power and agility.
But perhaps his real strength lies with his mental fortitude by overcoming depression and anxiety issues
“I've got hidden scars,” Masamba told Olympics.com. “They happened because of childhood trauma.
“But I went back to the gym to remove the pain and emotion that I was feeling inside through hitting the bags. So by doing that, it helped me get where I am right now.”
Masamba took his place at the Africa Boxing Qualifier in Dakar, Senegal, which is available to watch live on Olympic Channel via Olympics.com and the official Olympics app, with a view to making his dream come true by competing at the Olympic Games Paris 2024.
Life-changing moment
Masamba started boxing at the age of 14 in Johannesburg, South Africa.
But an event happened two years later that would change his life forever.
“My friends and I were taking a walk. But then I got caught in [an] incident and a lot of security started touching me and I didn’t know what was happening,” Masamba explained.
“I got tortured and I was rushed to hospital with a kidney problem.
“They let me go the next day and my body was beaten up from my calves which were bleeding to my elbows and shoulders which were fractured a little bit. I walked all the way home, six kilometres, and I cried to my dad.
The episode made the young athlete give up on sport, as he spiralled into a deeply negative mental state, where he says he considered taking his own life.
“I was a top youth boxer, winning a lot of medals nationally and internationally,” he explained.
“I used to see a therapist, but it never helped. I started running away from home and staying somewhere else for a month or two as I needed some space.”
Masamba John Paul (RSA) in relaxes in the corner during the Men's 63.5kg category bout at the Boxing Road to Paris Africa Qualification Tournament in Dakar, Senegal on 10 September 2023.
With nowhere else to turn, the boxer decided to return to the gym in a bid to get his life back on track.
“I told myself, ‘I'm not going to let this pain get to me. I'm going to just go back to the gym, Let me stay away from being alone and watching TV.'
“If I needed to talk to someone, I would talk to my coaches and my mum and it helped.
“Slowly I started to feel okay again, and then I started feeling excited and energetic.
“So people are going through depression and anxiety, I'd like to motivate them and say don't give up on anything, even if it's your dreams, even if it’s hard to keep going, just push through as everything is possible."
"I've been through this pain, I've tried to commit suicide, I’ve almost quit so many times, but I just told myself, 'No, I'm not going to do it, I have goals to achieve, I have years inside me'.” - John Paul Masamba to Olympics.com
John Paul Masamba represented South Africa at the AFBC Youth Championships boxing in 2018 in Casablanca, Morocco. After overcoming a traumatic episode, he now wants to motivate others to do the same ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
"Leave the negative people"
Getting back into mental and physical shape was only one part of the challenge for Masamba.
Where he comes from, temptation and negativity were around every corner, and it was another daily battle to avoid it.
“I had a lot of things going on, even at home, but I had to ignore it,” he said.
“Usually I would just stay away from certain friends and bad company. I would prefer to be alone or hang out with the people who are really close to me at home.
“If not, I was just out riding my bike, getting something to eat, but mostly the gym and with my coaches. They helped me see clearly in my mind.
“Leave the negative people behind and believe in yourself.”
South Africa's John Paul Masamba in red competes against Dechey Yetongnon of Togo in the Men's 63.5kg category at the Boxing Road to Paris Africa Qualification Tournament in Dakar, Senegal on 10 September 2023.
In addition to motivating others to believe in themselves, Masamba wants to restore his nation’s boxing reputation.
Boxing is South Africa’s third most successful Olympic sport, with six gold medals, four silvers, and a bronze.
But with the latest of these being Daniel Bekker’s second-place finish at Rome 1960 in the heavyweight division, it has been a very baron period in the ring.
“I just want to qualify for the Olympics so badly,” Masamba told us. “That's my calling, this is my dream. I want to be the first good boxer in so many years that South Africa has brought through.
“People have wanted to take me away from the amateurs to the pros for a while and other people have doubted me to make the national team, but I told everyone, ‘No, I want to prove myself again and again."
“I lost some matches last year but I'm going to prove to myself and everyone else that I am still the best.” - John Paul Masamba to Olympics.com
“If I get... Once I get it, it'll be a dream come true. I'll prove a lot of people wrong.
“I used to have anxiety and depression but now I'm calm and collected and I’ll change a lot of people's minds about me.
“My success could help a lot of people to see how a boy that struggled is now pushing himself. No matter what your background is, you can achieve your goals. You can let the pain out.
“No matter what happens, you can never give up, keep going.”