By Nicole Price
When Gairy “Superman” St Clair defeated Cassius Baloyi to become World Champion in 2006, he was a long way from the Georgetown streets of his youth in Guyana. The story of how the former IBO/IBF world title holder overcame all odds to be at the top of his sport is an inspiration to young fighters all over the world.
Gairy St Clair will reach another incredible career milestone this year when he will be inducted into the Australian National Boxing Hall-of-Fame on August 26, at Crown Melbourne. This tremendous honour recognises his achievements in representing Guyana and Australia on the boxing world stage and his commitment to supporting the champions of tomorrow.
Born on February 2, 1975, at Georgetown Public Hospital in Guyana, Gairy St Clair was a fighter from day one. Growing up in poverty as one of nine children, the odds of survival were stacked against him. However, legendary Guyanese fighter Cliff Anderson saw promise in the young St Clair and took him under his wing.
St Clair represented Guyana on the world stage at the Commonwealth Games in British Columbia, Canada at the age of 19, and turned professional the same year. He had always envisioned the United States as being the place where he would further his career, but it was a call from Australia that changed his life.
Sydney-based Kostya Tszyu was in need of a sparring partner, and St Clair proved the perfect candidate. As he played an instrumental role in the Russian-Australian becoming undisputed world champion, St. Clair’s natural talent and skill caught the eye of Tszyu’s trainer, Johnny Lewis. Lewis believed that St. Clair had what it took to become a world champion himself and became his trainer. He became part of Australian boxing history when he challenged and prevailed against Cassius Baloyi for the IBF Super Featherweight title.
Since retiring, St Clair has continued to share his boxing skills and knowledge at Gairy St Clair Boxing Fitness in southern Sydney. Today, the gym is a breeding ground for some of boxing’s brightest rising stars, including one of Australia’s newest boxing superstars, George Kambosos Jr.
Along with his family, one of St Clair’s greatest passions is giving back to the boxing community. He continues to inspire fighters around the world, especially in his home country of Guyana. His dream is to make a difference in the lives of Guyanese children, by showing them that no matter where you come from, with hard work and good values you can become whatever you want. St Clair is currently working towards sharing his story in his upcoming book.
