Raised in St. Paul’s Frogtown, Dalton Outlaw once dreamed of becoming the champion of the world of boxing, a sport that to him was about a lot more than getting punched in the face.

With a business degree from Concordia University, he opened Element Gym, a social benefit corporation that markets itself as “the best gym in St. Paul,” one geared as much toward kids, seniors and the disabled as toward competitive athletes looking to break into the sport professionally.

The mission of roping in non-traditional boxers while building bodies, hearts and minds has expanded with time, even as it became clear it was time to move on from former digs at the Fairview Business Center.

“I stopped trying to be the best in the world, to be the best for the world,” said Outlaw on Tuesday, standing on Element’s “low boy” ring and training platform at his gym’s new home — the YWCA St. Paul on Selby Avenue.

Commemorative gloves

He was joined there by St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter and the mayor’s father, Melvin Carter Jr., a regular at the YWCA St. Paul and seasoned boxer who once trained police officers in the discipline at police training academies, as well as a large cast of community leaders. The mayor read into the public record a proclamation proclaiming Tuesday “YWCA St. Paul and Element Gym Day” in the city, before joining his father in signing a giant pair of commemorative gloves.

Prior to Element’s arrival, the YWCA offered some 25 fitness classes per week. With Element’s programs included, it now offers 55 classes, more than doubling its outreach, including boxing classes for members with Down syndrome, said Ashley Booker, chief executive officer of the YWCA St. Paul.

She noted residents had long asked for more structured activities.

“That’s one of the things we were hearing from the community, especially post-pandemic,” Booker said.

‘Rock Steady Boxing’

Four mornings per week, trainer Alfredo Calderon meets with men and women in their 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s who suffer from Parkinson’s disease. Instead of sparring, his “Rock Steady Boxing” classes focus on coordination — no prior boxing experience necessary.

“I teach them from the ground up,” Calderon said. “It’s the training that helps them with their cognitive skills and their movements.”

Booker, who became chief executive officer of the YWCA St. Paul last August, said the new partnership with Element started with a cold call. She’d heard about Outlaw’s community outreach and sensed a kindred spirit in efforts to improve health outcomes for residents of color.

“We’re all about health equity, especially for our BIPOC communities, and specifically Black folk, when we look at the data,” she said. “If you want to move a little, if you want to be part of the community, then you’ve got an option here at the corner of Selby and Western.”

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