Losing his ability to read and write at 6-years-old due to post-traumatic stress disorder, after his father’s death from mental illness, was the tragic moment that changed Anthony Sims Jr. life, but made him into the man he is today. As a young boy unable to speak, the 24-year-old professional boxer, also known as The Magician, found comfort in expressing himself and coping with the loss of his father through boxing.
Later in his life, Sims Jr. also lost his only brother to a mental illness that led to suicide. These days the light heavyweight boxer from Compton -- undefeated in 18 fights, 17 of those wins by knockout -- takes time from his training to bring awareness of mental illness to students. He says he wants to be a voice for children who are not heard.
On March 28, Sims took his message to California State University, Dominguez Hills for a get-together hosted by the Male Success Alliance.
The Loker Student Union room was silent throughout the event; everyone was focused on the humble boxer as he gave them the real him with his life experiences. Sims, Jr. told the students at the university that they must be able to express themselves, to let everything out, because it is healthier than keeping things bottled inside regardless of the masculinity trait, which is often given to men of color and seen as a negative trait.
“I’m really big on expressing yourself, on how you feel,” Sims said. “Man or woman, you can be strong.[A]part of being strong is accepting… If you have an addiction or you’re slipping, saying that … it doesn’t make you weak. What makes you weak is denying it or sweeping it under the rug and stepping over it and ignoring it.”
Regarding mental illness, Sims said there are three ways to approach the illness: identify the issue, release it with another person and find something you are passionate about. Sims said that most people deal with day to day personal issues, but many feel as though the solution is to end one’s life, but that is not how you solve it.
“It’s not ok to take the easy way out. A lot of people don’t realize that when you commit suicide, I call it a selfish act,” Sims said. “I’m not saying it’s not true what you feel, but it’s selfish cause when you commit suicide, that’s just the beginning; you hurt a whole lot more people.”
Emotionally, Sims related his experience of his father’s suicide with selfishness because his father is not able to witness his son’s life as a man, to see his accomplishments in the boxing ring and in life. His father won’t know the family Sims will create in the future. And through it all, Sims has been deprived of a father. Sims wants his voice to reach people who are dealing with the same situations so they will know they are not alone in life.
“I feel that it’s my purpose to speak on that so no other little boy … nobody should feel that,” Sims said. “If I speak about it, if I fulfill my vocation, if I do what I’m put here to do, I can make sure that don’t happen.”
After Sims spoke, the students asked questions. Soon the whole room had the boxer reaching out to listen to every attendee’s story that was shared.
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