Written by Silas Panktraz

A high-pitched beep cuts through the air, just as it does every three minutes during training sessions at the YMCA Y-CAP boxing gym in Chattanooga, Tennessee. This beep is soon followed by a clash of gloved fists and padded heads, as two opposing forces wish to refine their fighting skills in the ring. 

For the past twenty-five years, this same beep has been heard by countless fighters, young and old, several of which would go on to become national and even international champions in their sport. Today, however, the gym hosts the final night of training before the 15^th annual Guns and Hoses charity boxing night. 

This event is hosted by the YMCA of Chattanooga to raise money to support its Youth Citizens Action Program (Y-CAP), a program that helps prohibit juvenile delinquency by offering classes, activities and support to the community. Although the competition is ultimately for supporting the youth of Chattanooga, the departments also fight for their bragging rights. 

With the competition just two days away, several fighters representing both the police department and fire department are completing their training before the day when a winner is finally decided. 

Of the thirteen fights taking place during the event, one notable matchup is Katelin Hickman and Heather Elmore. Katelin is a nurse at Memorial Hospital who is fighting for the fire department, as she used to be a volunteer firewoman. Heather works for the district attorney in the DUI division and is fighting for the police department, as she works and interacts with members of the force at work daily. 

Katelin and Heather were both asked to join the fundraiser as fighters quite unexpectedly, but both of them were more than willing to put themselves on the line to support a good cause. The two met each other early on in their training and soon became good friends, and it wasn’t until weeks later that they found out they were assigned to fight each other. Though this would seem an awkward situation to many, the two felt nothing but excitement and relief. 

“It’s nice to be fighting someone I respect, and I actually like,” said Katelin. The two women were grateful that if they needed to beat someone up, at least it would be someone who wouldn’t take it personally. 

These two fighters’ lighthearted yet determined attitude captures the spirit of Guns and Hoses. 

As Heather puts it, “I don’t want to hit Katelin in the face, but I will for the children.” Despite the friendly rivalry, Heather’s willingness to step into the ring reflects the event’s larger purpose: raising money for the Y-CAP program, which offers youth development classes in activities such as boxing, woodworking, exercise, and music to help prevent juvenile delinquency. 

By supporting Y-CAP, participants like Heather and Katelin contribute to a positive cause that benefits local children and teens. Their playful competition in the ring helps fund vital programs that give young people the skills and mentorship they need to succeed and remain occupied. In this way, the event unites the community, combining fun with a meaningful commitment to youth empowerment.

Though the event, through the Y-CAP program, benefits the children and communities of Chattanooga, there are also several physical and mental benefits. 

“Our jobs require us to be thinking all the time, and it’s nice to be able to do something like boxing that lets you just turn your brain off and follow your training,” said Katelin. 

Boxing is a powerful way to de-stress and clear the mind, all while challenging your body physically as well. The sport allows participants to focus completely on their movements, giving them a break from the constant mental demands of everyday life. For those in high-stress jobs like police officers and firefighters, boxing provides a way to relax, stay focused, and improve mental well-being. Boxing helps them clear their heads while staying fit and strong.

When the night of the event finally came around, the anticipation could be felt in the air. 

Weeks of physical and mental preparation had led to one chance at proving one simple thing: who is the better fighter? Both Heather and Katelin entered the ring with a sense of calm confidence. They looked at each other knowing, at that moment, they were simultaneously friends and enemies. 

After three intense rounds, the crowd waited anxiously as the judges tallied their scores. Both women had given it their all, exchanging swift punches and showing incredible resilience. As the final bell rang, both fighters embraced, sweat-soaked and exhausted but with smiles on their faces. 

When the decision was announced—Katelin by unanimous decision—the gym erupted in applause. Though Katelin had emerged victorious, the real winner of the night was the Y-CAP program, and the children involved in it. The friendly rivalry between Katelin and Heather had made for an exciting and memorable match, but it was their shared commitment to the cause that shone brightest. 

The event had brought the community together, not just for a night of competition, but for the future of Chattanooga’s youth, and raised over $100,000 in the process.

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Badge Trainer

Written by Liomar Mercedes-Sosa

After years of serving the Chattanooga area fighting crime and fire these brave servicemen and women have turned the fight to each other to raise funds for The YMCA Community Action Project (Y-CAP) and The Forgotten Child Fund. Professional boxer Roger Hilly was the head trainer for the fighters young and old.

The Y-CAP Boxing Club provides free boxing classes for the Cleveland and Brainerd YMCA programs. Coach Hilly also trains youth and adults in the community. 

Coach Hilly’s connection to the program runs deep, He trained there to become the professional boxer he is today. He credits Y-cap for not only his success but his health and safety.

“I’m very thankful for the family I’ve been given here at Y-CAP, and without Y-CAP I’d be dead or in jail,” Hilly said.

The competitors can come to a set amount of training sessions for the group and can arrange individual sessions with Coach Hilly. Just like with the kids, Coach Hilly has to gain their trust to get them to buy into it 

“I would pick them out, and pull them to the side, and just you know get to know them, and just find out what their strengths are, try to just work with their styles, and not really try to change that much but just make them better at what they already have,” Coach Hilly said. 

In the early years of the Guns and Hoses event, some competitors would try to start training a month out from the fights expecting to be ready. Recently things have been changing as the competition grows. Fighters have been coming to start training earlier in the year.

Three to four months is more similar to the preparation Amature professional boxers would do for their fights. As the fighters have gotten more serious the competition only gotten more stiff and more entertaining.

The kids get riled up for the event too because it’s a lot of their first competition. Even though they all come from the same “Team”. They train like they would for a match set up by USA Boxing.

At the heart of the Guns and Hoses event lies the competitiveness between the two sides. The competition raised a whopping  $102,304.24, a new record in the event’s 15-year history.

“That’s what makes the event so good; it’s that these people are everyday husbands, wives, teachers, first responders, and now they have a cause to fight for, and they want to win,” Coach Hilly said.

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