In The News

"Love at first sight," is the way John Kimzey describes Contenders Gym. The former cross-country runner who is a researcher for a Palo Alto biotech firm says he has been working out with Espinosa for six months and he can't see himself going back to his old workout routine."It's incredible," Kimzey says of boxing. "There's no better workout." Kimzey says he gets an "insane" cardiovascular workout at Contenders and has packed on lean muscle -- all without any fancy equipment. "It's nothing flashy," he says. "There's nothing extra you don't need."...

Talking with Espinosa, you get the sense that he certainly considers Contenders his second home, and has gotten very close to some of his clients. There is a plaque hanging on the wall commemorating the success of a former Contenders member, who says learning to box with Espinosa helped him beat his addiction to heroin...

Espinosa says he is always eager to accept new members. "Anybody can join -- young, old, it doesn't matter," he says. "I'll teach you how to hit and not get hit back."...

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The handwritten sign hanging on the wall of The Contenders Gym is simply put: “If you quit before you really try, that is worse than ever starting in the first place.”...

“Everyone comes in here as a contender,” Espinosa said, explaining the name of his gym, which is also the name of a new reality-television show about boxers. “Age doesn’t mean anything in here. You go up against whoever’s in the gym...

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