The father of Peckham BMX champ Kye Whyte is fighting in a charity boxing match to raise money for cancer research after his wife was diagnosed with leukaemia in 2021.
Nigel Whyte, 52, a Camberwell born-and-bred BMX coach will fight a yet-to-be-chosen opponent on September 17 at Troxy, Shadwell.
Inspired by his wife Tracey Hill’s battle with leukaemia, who is thankfully now in remission, money raised will go to Cancer Research UK.
Jokingly describing himself as a “half a century and two years old”, Nigel thinks he knows who his opponent will be – and he’s half his age.
Nigel, who has never boxed before, said: “The guy I’m thinking about is 22 to 25 – he can handle himself. He even said ‘don’t match me with Nigel – he’s my Grandad’s age’.”
An enthusiastic sportsman through his BMXing and road-biking, Nigel says he’s “not doing this to knock someone out”.
“I’m here to do this for charity – I’m not doing this to knock someone out. At the same time, I don’t want to play boxing, I want to have a boxing match,” he said.
Tracey was diagnosed with leukaemia in the summer of 2021, just two weeks after Kye won his BMX silver medal at the 2021 Tokyo Olympics.
Nigel said: “She was in and out of the doctors, going back and forth. Something wasn’t right and she was coming up with bruises.”
Tracey, 49, became so ill that at one point, Nigel had to carry her to the car to take her to hospital, where she was diagnosed.
But on his birthday, May 25, 2022, Nigel received the best birthday present imaginable, news that Tracey’s cancer had gone into remission.
Nigel has been splitting training between KO Combat and Alan Kitson, coach at Miguel’s Boxing Gym, Loughborough Junction.
Comparing his martial arts education to Kevin’s in the 1984 film Karate Kid, he joked: “KO Combat are like Mr Miyagi so they take their time. We were on ‘wax on’ and now we’re on ‘waxing off’.”
He says that three-by-three minute rounds of step-ups, heavy bag work and skipping have him feeling “a lot better, fitter”.
Ever the elite athlete, Kye’s advice for his dad ahead of the bout was simple: “You better not lose.”
Nigel’s fight is on September 17, 2022, at the London Ultra White Collar Boxing event, Troxy, 490 Commercial Road, London, E1 0HX.
Buy tickets for the event here: https://www.ultratickets.co.uk/events/ultra-white-collar-boxing-london-17-09-2022/
Donate to Nigel’s Just Giving page here: https://www.justgiving.com/fundraising/nigel-whyte