Kumar Prescod and the precious gym built from other people’s trash

After excelling in the amateur code as a heavyweight, Kumar Prescod is set to transition to the light heavyweight division with his professional debut scheduled for late September. Behind his success stands his father, Kuma Prescod, who not only provided the figurative foundation but also laid the literal groundwork.

They train in a private gym built from scratch by Kuma in their backyard in Antioch, Calif., and Prescod prepares diligently under his father’s guidance for his upcoming professional debut this fall.

Kuma, who runs a thriving landscaping business with occasional forays into construction, salvaged materials to construct the gym, transforming discarded items into treasures for his boxing oasis in the East Bay region of the San Francisco Bay Area.

“I knew we needed to move out of the garage,” said Kuma Prescod. “I collected discarded material from job sites, removed nails, believing in what could be used to build the gym.”

Despite training initially in a makeshift garage gym equipped with minimal gear, including one heavy bag and primitive cardio equipment, Prescod, a nine-time national champion, now enjoys a dedicated training facility. Methodically shadowboxing, he mirrors techniques learned from early visits at a young age to see professional boxers.  

“This gym allows me to focus solely on my training,” said the 17-year-old Kumar during a break in preparations for his debut.

Opting against pursuing an Olympic path, Prescod trains rigorously under his father’s watch, day and night, in their gym.

Inspired by the ethos of “Field of Dreams,” Kuma Prescod built his son a gym, eliminating travel barriers and fostering dreams of multiple weight class championships. “It took two years of collecting materials,” said Kuma Prescod. 

“Now, we have a functional home gym—it may not be fancy, but it gets the job done.”