TRAINERS

Our trainers come from diverse backgrounds and areas of expertise in the fitness industry.  One thing they all have in common is a love for the sport of boxing and helping our members meet their goals.  

DREW

MIKE

DOUG

MATT

COURTNEY

SAM

ALLISON

DREW

Graziadei

Drew started his fighting career at the age of 18 with Chris Herzog and Walter McDonald at Empire Academy in Rochester. Returning to Buffalo, he focused on boxing and kickboxing with the legendary Ray Casal of Niagara Falls and boxing coach legend Juan Deleon. He’s posted winning records in all three fighting arts and won the super heavyweight NYS Golden Gloves Open Class Championship in 2012 and 2014. Today, Drew uses the different fight conditioning routines and training regimens from the coaches he’s worked with and his experience in the ring.

DREW

Graziadei

MIKE

Graziadei

Michael Graziadei started his career at Empire Academy in Rochester with Chris Herzog and Walter McDonald. He would later go on to work with the legendary Ray Casal in Niagara Falls. Mike originally began training as a form of losing weight and fell in love with the sport and it’s high level of commitment and the dedication it takes. This makes Mike a very knowledgeable coach and technician in the sport.  His drills are some of the most intense around and will be sure to challenge any person at any athletic level.

MIKE

Graziadei

DOUG

Lis

Bio coming soon!

DOUG

Lis

MATT

Bernardi

A lifelong love of combat sports inspired Matt to start boxing in 2016 when the first gym opened up in his hometown of Lockport, NY. After a few years, the urge to compete had slowly converted to a passion for the coaching aspect of the sport.

 

As a competitor and coach, Matt instills a movement-first approach to the sport. From head-movement to footwork, offensively or defensively, he’ll be the first to tell you how important it is to the sweet-science. This ideology is on display during his mitt rounds, as you’ll be sure to hit your daily step count during those three minutes in the ring.

 

The self-proclaimed “coolest guy in the gym” (hence the nickname “Matty Ice”) looks to provide our Boxstar family with not only great boxing-based workouts, but a fun and welcoming atmosphere as well.

MATT

Bernardi

COURTNEY

Walsh

Courtney started boxing while living in Chicago and immediately fell in love with the sport. Eventually moving back to Buffalo, she made Boxstar her go-to gym. Over the past 4 years, she has continued to hone her boxing skills and is most recently learning kickboxing. She loves both the physical and mental health benefits of boxing and thrives in the high energy atmosphere. Always aiming to add skills to her arsenal, she loves to learn and challenge herself in the ring.  Courtney teaches at Boxstar Express located in Seneca One, where she focuses on the basics of boxing and kickboxing. If you catch one of her classes, you can expect a mix of high intensity bag work and long builder-style combinations on the pads. Expect to leave better than when you arrived!

COURTNEY

Walsh

SAM

Long

Sam’s lifelong love for fitness began at an early age when she embarked on a decade’s long swimming career.   Later picking up  running, Crossfit, power yoga and finally boxing in January of 2021.  She immediately fell in love with the sport because it is as mentally challenging as it is physically challenging.  Since starting at Boxstar she has earned her USA Boxing Green Coaching Certification, is a certified Level One Baptiste Power Yoga instructor and is working toward her CPT certification.  She loves to challenge her students and help them in working towards their fitness goals.  In addition to working at Boxstar, Sam is a freelance web designer and developer. 

SAM

Long

ALLISON

Geddes

After an injury that prevented me from running, a friend recommended I try spinning & it was love at first class! After 8 years of taking every spin class I could I decided to become an instructor & received my Stages certification. In my class you can expect high energy, heavy climbs, quick sprints, and tap backs to the beat of some *loud* hip hop & EDM tracks. My classes are inclusive and welcoming of all levels and experiences. 

As a long time client on the boxing side of things I am so excited to be able to bring two of my favorite forms of movement into one incredible space! 

See y’all on the bike ✌️ 💜

ALLISON

Geddes

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