SIPALAY City, Negros Occidental – Negrense newcomer boxer John Mark Tihuk has more reasons to thank and be happy as he is making more progress to his boxing career.

Currently, John Mark has a boxing record of 2-0-1 1KO (2wins, 0 loss, 1 Draw and 1 Technical Knock Out).

Raised from a family whose father is a fisherman and a mother who owns a sari-sari store, John Mark has been dreaming to become a successful boxer someday. He started practicing boxing when he was in Grade 3. Since then, he had always envisioned himself on a fighting ring his hand being held high and proclaimed winner, he would go home with a large sum of money that he would give to his parents and would let them buy anything that would make them happy.

This is how vivid John Mark’s idea of his success, but this poor boy doesn’t know when and how to start because his parents could hardly provide their needs. John Mark has three more siblings. Most of the time, his parents are lending money from a bank institution so they could send them to school. His parents’ income from farming and the sari-sari store could not sustain their expenses, especially that his eldest sister was enrolled in Cabarus College taking up Bachelor of Education.

One day, their faith had been tested when their eldest sister was diagnosed with an ovarian cyst. The family needs to raise money for the operation, and John Mark that time had witnessed how scarce money is.

John Mark who was by then about to be enrolled in college has decided to give way. He needs to work in the meantime to help his parents especially that his elder sister is sick. Yet, God’s favor is with them when her mother was informed that Pantawid Pamilya has one slot available for ESGP-PA (Expanded Student Grants in Aid Program for Poverty Alleviation) because one of the possible scholars refused and had decided not to pursue in college.

He grabs that available slot without any hesitation and was successfully enrolled in Capiz State University – Pontevedra. Unlike many students who would receive an allowance from the parents, John Mark is making sure that he would save the allowance he gets from the scholarship so that he will be able to send money at home to augment for the daily expenses of his parents. He was able to earn a degree in Bachelor in Business Administration and he gained all the spirit to take off and made him ready to repay and earn for his family.

Despite of busy life as a college student, he did not forget to join in some boxing events in college. He had been earning medals since then.

After graduated from college, Mark John excited to experience life and to earn for his family. Excited to work for his family he applied for a job in RUSI as a collector and had been hired right away. John Mark was so overwhelmed after he got hired because he knew the paper he is signing would turn to a payslip at the end of the month.

He is then a full-pledged “breadwinner” of the family. However, after his two days at work, his father received a call from a relative asking if John Mark is willing to train for boxing. Hearing the offer John Mark did not have any hesitation but accepted the offer to train to become a professional boxer and to win fights to earn more and give his family a better life.

After accepting the offer, he started training and had joined different boxing events representing the City of Sipalay.  John Mark is receiving monthly honoraria as a City Athlete bringing fame and glory to the Local Government Unit (LGU).  He was trained in Penalosa Boxing Gym and had started to fight in a professional boxing ring earning wins to gain credit to qualify for a promotional boxing main event.

John Mark first win was a 4 Round Technical Knock Out and he received 7,000 cash price. He kept the money placed in an envelope and went home in Sipalay with his allowances that he saved to hand into his parents the cold cash of 7, 000 as his first win for his boxing career.

The boxing prodigy John Mark, never gave up on his dreams for his parents. His boxing training has never been easy, as it was physically exhausting and needs a lot of hard work and discipline but he doesn’t mind any of these because he has a dream for his family. His boxing career had financially supported his parents to augment for their daily needs and the expenses of his sibling in school.

Looking in the positive side, John Mark believes that his career will be successful as long as he has with him the supportive family and faith in God./dswd/mgc (Written by Alexander Soliva, City Link Link of Sipalay City, Negros Occidental POO2