An Interview With Edward Sylvan
I want to create awareness about bullying of all kids and remind people that our kids are the most valuable of all. We need to Inspire and lead our children to be better than us…show them they can do anything they want to do.
As a part of my series about sports stars who are making a social impact, I had the pleasure of interviewing Billy Wright.
“Bronco” Billy Wright is well known and loved for his impressive achievements in the ring. Throughout his lengthy boxing career, which began in 1986, he fought in the heavyweight division and scored 29 first-round knockouts. His last professional fight was in January 2016, finishing with a career record of 52–4 with 43 knockouts. He has now retired from sports and has picked up the pen. His first publication, the fantasy series Earthly Worlds, became an Amazon bestseller, and his upcoming science-fiction novel Mind-Benders, co-written by EGA-represented author Steve Eggleston, is hotly anticipated. Wright, who is ever the altruist, is starting a new global anti-bullying campaign Be the Change to support adults and children who are victims of abuse, with the support of A-list sports personalities across the world.
Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Can you share with us the “backstory” that led you to your career path in professional sports?
Funnily enough, I was an all-state football player, everything I did was to be a football player. What got me into boxing was a great football scholarship offer. I was supposed to be going to college on that scholarship, but I was a poor kid and I had to work to support myself, I fell 37 feet with a jackhammer at a job and had to get my back fused. I was a complete mess. I was told I would never play football again. Sports was my north. I thought I’ll show you and train like hell with friends at an amateur boxing club to recover to get back into shape and carry on with football. The college wouldn’t sign me because of the back fusion scar on my back and a friend suggested I do some competitions. I won the golden glove state tournament and regionals. It became something I excelled at. The world champion Gene Fullmer himself told me I should go pro.
Can you share the funniest or most interesting story that occurred to you in the course of your career? What were the lessons or takeaways that you took out of that story?
I was a sparring partner for George foreman. Incredible man, great leader and great dad. We traveled a lot. I remember George was starting with a press conference and they asked him about training with younger boxers. He replied, “well that billy wright when he hits me it’s like electricity.” He was a lot of fun to be around. Frank Bruno as well was often there, he had a deep voice and deep laugh and we always had a lot of fun. They both encouraged me to become a better and better athlete. I learnt a lot from them, they taught me to hit like a heavyweight and move light like a middleweight.
What would you advise a young person who wants to emulate your success?
You need to see it, believe it and achieve it. Don’t look back.
Is there a person that made a profound impact on your life? Can you share a story?
My high school coaches, for football and wrestling. Still to this day I look to them when I need advice and support.
What are the “myths” that you would like to dispel about what it is like being a professional sports player?
It’s hard to say…a lot of the myths are true. There’s a lot of glamour and adoration made of champions. I think when you accept the pay cheques you accept the responsibility. The reason you have a job is because of the fans. If you’re a people’s champion like George foreman or Frank Bruno then you should be treated specially. It’s not about the money.
Ok super. Let’s now move to the main part of our discussion. How have you used your success to bring goodness to the world? Can you share with us the meaningful or exciting causes you are working on right now?
I have been a special Olympics coach and it’s the most rewarding work I’ve done in my life. They love the sport for the sport. The pureness of athletes that are disabled is humbling. I try to help as many groups that are youth-oriented I help as many as I can. I sponsor little league football and baseball; I like to get involved with fundraising campaigns like the Plunge campaign for the SONV (special Olympics of Nevada). I walked 579 miles to raise money for them. I’m currently launching my own global campaign to tackle bullying called Be the Change.
What methods are you using to most effectively share your cause with the world?
I’m building an online campaign first with a website and social media. I’m reaching out to a huge pool of my friends in the world of sports and beyond to get this global.
Can you share with us the story behind why you chose to take up this particular cause?
I’ve been bullied as a child and as an adult. I grew up in an out-of-the-care system, passed around like foster kids often are. I was mentally vulnerable and poor- an easy target for bullies. I was picked on for having holes in my clothes, dirty and old shoes. Bullies pick on you because you’re poor and they pick up on you because they can. In the school system, vulnerable kids have to face those that bully and it can be devastating for them. Bullying doesn’t just happen at school. Bullying happens everywhere from the playground to the white house. I was bullied at home as a child for wetting the bed and punished severely, despite having a bladder condition. I was bullied as an adult in my fifties when a relationship became abusive. We need to talk about bullying as a scourge that affects us all.
I was lucky- when I grew into a 250-pound teenager the bullying stopped. Funnily enough, bullies don’t want to pick on someone their own size, or in my case someone twice as big. Suddenly, I found myself stepping in the firing line for those unable to defend themselves to bullies. Ever since I’ve wanted to be an advocate for change.
Can you share with us a story about a person who was impacted by your cause?
When I was a kid I had a run-in with an old homeless man in phoenix. I used to see him around, always smoking cigars. I had just run away from home and he approached me when I was rummaging through a garbage can. He said to me:
Every day it doesn’t matter your plight
You are the reason you have a good day
We ourselves make the choice
And the fact this homeless man was telling me this really stuck with me- I was taught my choice was up to me, and I chose to end my victimization and help to end others.
What are your “5 things I wish someone told me when I first started” and why. Please share a story or example for each.
Growing up in the foster system, there are so many things I don’t remember being told. But things turned out well so I must have been at some point!
Stay focused
Protect your choices, then make good ones
Really believe — see it believe it, achieve it
Enjoy your Youth -It doesn’t last forever
Invest- the money won’t last forever
You are a person of enormous influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger. 🙂
That’s what I’m trying to do with the Be the Change Campaign. I want to create awareness about bullying of all kids and remind people that our kids are the most valuable of all. We need to Inspire and lead our children to be better than us…show them they can do anything they want to do.
Can you please give us your favorite “Life Lesson Quote”? Can you explain how that was relevant in your life?
Mahatma Gandi — “Be the change you want to see in the world” this is where the inspiration for my campaign’s name Be the Change comes from.
There are so many ways this quote speaks to me. For example, it teaches us to be grateful and to work for what we want. I run my own ranch. I get up every day and I am happy to work my butt off in the snow and the hot sun and that I have the opportunity to create a world for my kids and loved ones. Gratitude has become an invisible word in our society.
We are very blessed that some of the biggest names in Business, VC funding, Politics, Sports, and Entertainment read this column. Is there a person in the world, or in the US whom you would love to have a private breakfast or lunch with, and why? He or she might just see this if we tag them 🙂
If I could have world stage it would be with the global youth to influence the young minds to be the best version of themselves. To not only inspire them toward greatness but remind them to hold the door and make manners matter. This matters more to me than a conversation with anyone else.
How can our readers follow you online?
You can follow my Be the Change campaign here: https://www.ega-campaigns.com/billy-wright-be-the-change
Also my literary work Earthly Worlds is out on amazon, with more of my books coming soon: https://www.amazon.co.uk/Billy-Wright/e/B001KD9VII?ref_=dbs_p_ebk_r00_abau_000000
Thank you so much for these amazing insights. This was so inspiring.
Sports Stars Making a Social Impact: Why And How Boxer Billy Wright Is Helping To Change Our World was originally published in Authority Magazine on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.