Dr. David Venturi has been the ringside doctor for the fight team since the first event in 2012. (Photo: Dr. David Venturi performs a pre-bout medical on Sean Donovan of Fight To End Cancer 2015)
Photo Credit: Spencer Wynn
THE HEART OF A FIGHTER | FEATURING RINGSIDE DOCTOR DAVID VENTURI
Article By: Rebecca Weber
Dr. David Venturi has been an important part of the Fight To End Cancer team since the very beginning. There was an instant connection when he first met FTEC founder Jennifer Huggins at a boxing match.
Jennifer explained everything she wanted to accomplish with Fight To End Cancer and this information was all Dr. Venturi needed to support the cause. This support turned out to be significant, as he has been the ringside doctor for the fight team since the first event in 2012. Dr. Venturi brings incredible credentials to the position: he is the past medical advisor for Boxing Ontario and works in general medicine as a licensed physician and surgeon, with a special interest in sports medicine. His specialty is a cross section of combat sports, including but not limited to boxing, MMA and karate. Sports medicine is only one of his many passions – he is also a gold medal physicist, biophysicist and has a Master’s Degree in Aerospace Studies. He is involved in many different areas of research and is also an inventor. He has created many things, among them, a food supplement to help underprivileged youth get required nutrients and a dairy device that can cure digital dermatitis in cattle without the use of antibiotics.
Dr. Venturi believes the Fight To End Cancer motto, “Defeat Is Not An Option”, is about persistence, staying focused on your goals and the importance of continuing to strive for excellence even, and especially, when you fail. He believes that there will be failures in your life, but if you are focused and win just once, then you have not been defeated. Persistence, even in the face of failure, is one of the most important lessons you can learn in life.
We have many friends and family who struggle with the reality of the treatments, effects and loss cancer cause in our lives. We continue to fight for those who cannot. Defeat Is Not An Option.
Photo Credit: Spencer Wynn
Dr. Venturi sees everything slowly when he is ringside and takes in every single detail. His instinct as a doctor is incredibly important, as everything inside the ring happens so fast, serious injuries can go unnoticed to the untrained eye.
Dr. Venturi worked as one of the doctors for the UFC 129 fight at the Rogers Centre. Focus is very is critical to both the fighters and the medical professionals responsible for their safety when there are 56,000 people cheering in the stands. A fighter was knocked out with a kick during the event and Dr. Venturi remembers being so focused, that even with all the people and excitement in the crowd, he could hear the fighter’s heartbeat. Extreme focus like that comes with years of training and strong mental agility, but also requires instinct and talent that no amount of training can give you. It is something that comes from within great doctors and great athletes.
TORONTO, ON – APRIL 30: Dr. Venturi only has his eyes on the fighters as over 56,000 people watch onto the octagon as Georges St-Pierre is introduced before fighting Jake Shields in their Welterweight Championship bout at UFC 129 in the Rogers Centre on April 30, 2011 in Toronto, Ontario. (Photo by Tom Szczerbowski/Zuffa LLC/Zuffa LLC via Getty Images)
Boxing clubs are more than just a place to train for a sport, they are families. That sense of family is something that can be felt both at the Kingsway Boxing Club and among everyone involved in Fight To End Cancer.
Dr. Venturi feels especially close to the Cabbagetown Boxing Club where he has received a lifetime achievement award for his involvement with the club. He is not driven by the need for recognition, he is involved in the community because he made a choice when he was younger to always do what is right, and he can confidently say he has stood by that choice. Life can often get in the way and many things can complicate the line between right and wrong, but Dr. Venturi always bases his decisions around his core values.
Fight To End Cancer has changed and improved in many ways over the years and Dr. Venturi’s efforts to ensure the safety of every single fighter is a key focus to this ongoing success. Leading up to the event he performs medical exams on all of the fighters to ensure they are ready to begin training for the big night. He is with them every step of the way on event night, constantly monitoring their safety. We are incredibly lucky to have such an attentive, hard-working and talented doctor on our team.
Boxing, as a sport, has been around for thousands of years. Dr. Venturi knows boxing is deeply rooted in instinct. First and foremost, it’s a sport about self-defence, confidence and knowing yourself.
He urges that it is not about violence and warns new boxers that if they are getting into the sport just because they want to fight people, it is probably not the sport for them. His advice for new boxers is to learn the fitness, core body movement and the defence aspects of the sport first. He believes you don’t even need to throw a punch for the first two years of training and when you are ready to get competitive you can learn the combative elements. That’s something that makes Fight To End Cancer such an interesting event. The fighters are not professional, they train for the event for six to eight months and learn to compete in the sport at an accelerated pace. That makes Dr. Venturi’s job of keeping the boxers safe all the more important.
Dr. Venturi notes that over the years of working with Fight To End Cancer, he has seen the founder, Jennifer Huggins grow as a person and has watched her business and charity thrive. He never had any doubt it would become something huge. He knows it will continue to become bigger and better and is thrilled to be a part of the organization. He has lived his life to leave a legacy of good choices and he knew becoming a part of the Fight To End Cancer family was the right choice.
Jennifer Huggins, Founder of Fight To End Cancer, and Dr. David Venturi have been friends since the first time they met over a decade ago.
Photo Credit: Al Quintero Photography
Dr. Venturi has put countless hours and hard work into the Fight To End Cancer. We couldn’t be more grateful to have him on the team as he is such an important part of our FTEC Family! We are always looking for more people ready to take on the fight and if you’re interested please Contact Us and Join The Fight! Together we can end cancer once and for all!
