![]() ![]() From ages 17-19 he competed in amateur tournaments and placed in the Olympic trials. In his senior year of high school he moved in with his coach in Virginia to continue his training. In the ring Antoine was an outstanding boxer. In middle school and high school Antoine was an honor student and graduated with one of the highest GPA’s in his class. Antoine set his mind to being different he was determined to escape his environment of poverty and abuse. “Because we came from the same situation and he’s made something of himself, it meant a lot to me,” said Antoine. Motivated by Devon’s graduation from college, Antoine continued to work hard in the ring and in the classroom. In the boxing community Antoine found a network of care and support. The one positive legacy of Antoine’s stint with his cousin was introducing Antoine and his sister Tyrieshia to boxing. The cycle of neglect and hunger continued. At age 8, Antoine and his two other siblings went to live with a cousin-hoping this new living environment would finally provide the stability they sought-but soon realized their cousin’s real motivation for taking them in was money. “I made sure I was a role model to them and gave them someone to look up to.to motivate them not quit,” he said in an interview for this article. Devon went to live with his high school football coach but remained determined to see that he and his siblings would have a better life. When Antoine was 6 his aunt kicked Devon out of the house, separating Antoine from his older brother for the first time in his life. The abuse and neglect only intensified Antoine and his siblings have memories of being beaten with extension cords and often going hungry. When Antoine was 5 he and his siblings moved in with another aunt. Despite Devon’s best efforts, he could not always protect Antoine as they ended up moving from one abusive situation to another. ![]() At his aunt’s, Antoine failed to find the parental guidance he’d lacked but his brother Devon, eight years his senior, looked out for him and his two other siblings. Prematurely born to a mother suffering from drug addiction, Antoine’s earliest memory is being dropped off by the Department of Child Services at his aunt’s house at age 3 with a small bag of clothes. Antoine Douglas has always been a fighter. ![]()
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