On July 19, a one round, one minute long boxing match took place at the Cut Off arena outside of New Orleans. It really wasn't much of a contest as a southpaw by the name of Thomas Dardar came out swinging, and after delivering a few solid punches, one resulting in a knockdown, the fight was over in decisive fashion. To boxing fans, the fight was less than thrilling. To the 46-year old man going out in defeat, that loss was still a major victory in his life.
Seven years ago, Bill Coleman made a choice that drastically changed his life. He could pursue a chance to live his lifelong dream of being a professional boxer, or continue his successful but unfulfilling IT career. Emotionally the decision was easy, even if it defied all worldly logic.
Bill's self-published book, Million Dollar Maybe, chronicles in detail all the sacrifices he made to address that lifelong regret and make his dream a reality. There were many hardships in that pursuit, financially, physically, and emotionally. Some will consider his story to be an inspiration, others a cautionary tale. Either way, it makes for an interesting read.
I first got to know Bill after he published the first edition of Million Dollar Maybe. He was looking for other writers to give critical and detailed feedback on his book. At first glance, there wasn't much interest on my part since I didn't know a lick about boxing. The first chapter hooked me though, because it told the story of an Information Technology VP who had enough of the corporate world running his soul into the ground. He covered the heartless process that his company went through in cutting staff to save profit margins. I instantly related, going through the same issues quarterly at my employer.
The story behind his decision connects with all who have let their dreams slip. Bill’s boxing journey started a good number of years ago, when he was an amateur while in the Marine Corps in 1980. He eventually won the South Dakota 132-pound Golden Gloves championship in 1986 at the age of 26. A career in boxing was at his reach, but as often happens with pursuing dreams, the realities of life grinded his plans to a halt. A baby came along, then two other children from his wife’s previous marriage, so supporting a family took priority over boxing. Bill took advantage of the computer skills he learned in the Marine Corp and started his IT career.
Article comments
1 - Gordon Hauptfleisch
Thanks for an engrossing, well-written read.