Archive for Sunday, May 25, 2008

U.S. Olympic boxer Shawn Estrada will look to medal at the summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Estrada will train at Quaker Mountain Ranch north of Hayden at the end of June or the beginning of July.

Courtesy Photo

U.S. Olympic boxer Shawn Estrada will look to medal at the summer Olympics in Beijing, China. Estrada will train at Quaker Mountain Ranch north of Hayden at the end of June or the beginning of July.

Boxer to train near Hayden

Rustic camp has speed bags, ring - and wood-chopping

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— People often come to Steamboat Springs to train and earn a spot in the Winter Olympics.

The facilities are top-notch, from Howelsen Hill to the Steamboat Ski Area.

Soon, however, Olympic and professional boxers also could put Steamboat and Hayden on the map.

Bobby Lee, a boxing coach and manager, has set up a camp at Quaker Mountain Ranch north of Hayden. Judging by early returns, the camp is set to churn out top talent.

Lee and trainer Arnulfo Bravo brought Shawn Estrada out to the camp before the U.S. Olympic Trials in Houston last August.

Estrada, who was ranked fourth heading into the trials, won four straight fights, including two against heavy favorite Shawn Porter, to qualify for the U.S. Olympic team.

"It makes it better," Bravo said of the camp's location. "Out there, there's nothing to do. It feels like a real training camp. One thing is the altitude. The other is there's nothing to do but focus on the fight."

Estrada officially qualified for the Beijing Olympics by winning an Olympic qualifier in Guatemala City, Guatemala, in April.

The camp at Quaker Mountain set things in motion.

Estrada spent several weeks prior to the Olympic trials working with Lee and Bravo. Lee said the camp features a full-size ring, speed bags and heavy bags.

But what makes the camp truly unique - besides its relative reclusiveness - are the other workout areas designed to get boxers in top form.

Lee said the camp has eight to nine workstations. Boxers will spar and work the bags, but they also will run hills and chop, throw and saw wood.

"It's not real huge," said Lee, who has been training fighters at the camp for several years. "We have a couple different cabins, a TV and a couple bathrooms."

Bravo, however, said the rustic camp quickly is turning into one of the best areas to train. He compared it to Big Bear, Calif., where many top fighters go to train because of its isolation and high altitude.

"Big Bear, though, doesn't really compare to Colorado," Bravo said. "Up there, all you do is focus. There's no distractions. It's the best training camp out there."

Estrada is set to return to the camp in late June or early July. Lee said he'll also be bringing some professional fighters out and possibly a couple other members from the U.S. Olympic team.

The focus will be on preparing for the Olympics and getting in enough conditioning to be able to throw punches non-stop for four, two-minute rounds.

"It'll be tough," Lee said of the camp. "We have to get (Shawn) mentally right. But we're bringing him out to train to win a medal."

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