Nine times out of 10, hitting someone in the face could land an assault charge. That isn't the case for Air Force Staff Sgt. Ryan Savage, a successful amateur boxer.
The 91st Security Forces Group evaluator said he started boxing mainly to stay fit and get a better score on his fitness assessment test. He never knew where it would take him.
"I initially did it just to get in shape, lose a few pounds and pass my [physical training] test," Savage said. "Once I got into it, that's when I decided I actually wanted to compete." Once he started boxing, he said, he had no intentions of competing until his coach talked him into it.
"Honestly, it's a surreal feeling getting this far," Savage said. "I initially did it just to get in shape, and my coach asked me if I wanted to compete, so I gave myself a few months to train and I ended up winning my first match. And from there, I took off."
Savage has won at state and regional levels in his weight class, and he isn't done yet.
Setting Sights on Nationals
"I was the state champion for North Dakota in the [152-pound] weight class and the upper Midwest regional champ," he said. "I'm going to nationals next."
Working in a security forces group, Savage usually is pressed for time, but he said he manages his time well by balancing his passion for boxing and his Air Force duties.
"Obviously, I put my work first, and then I box," he said. "I get done with the duty day around 5 p.m. After that, I get right into training mode and box until the training gym closes around 8 p.m., and from there I'll go work out at the YMCA and go to sleep and do it all over again the next day."
Savage said he does have some goals in mind.
"I'd like to do more amateur fights and see how I do in nationals, and then go from there," he said. "If you win nationals, you get an Olympic tryout, so that would be really impressive. I'd also like to compete in the state and region next year and also [compete] for the Golden Gloves."
Although Savage has some lofty goals for boxing, he doesn't plan on them getting in the way of his Air Force career. "I'm looking at extending [my enlistment] right now and seeing where that goes," he said. "If I get orders, hopefully it will be to a place where I can continue boxing."
Honored Just to Compete
Savage has won seven fights in his short career and plans on more, but one of those wins is extra special to him.
"Winning regionals -- I never thought I would get this far," he said. "This was my first Golden Gloves competition ever, and I was honored just to be competing in it, and when I won it was just a surreal feeling."
Savage said the boxer who has inspired him the most isn't a professional. It’s another amateur boxer who also happens to be stationed here: Air Force Senior Airman Tavarus Roberts, a member of the 91st Missile Security Forces Squadron. "He's also a state and regional champ," he said. "He helped me a lot along the way, and I wouldn't be where I'm at now if it weren't for him."
Savage said he has taken a very important lesson from boxing that he uses in almost all aspects of his life, including the Air Force.
"The biggest thing is hard work and determination. You've got to push yourself even if someone tells you that you can't do it or if you think you can't," he said. "There will be days where I get off work and I'll be tired and not want to go in and train, but I know that my competitor is out there training, so I have to push myself. That relates to the Air Force, when sometimes you have to do things you don't want to but still have to, and it's all about pushing yourself."