When Brandon Scott was 12 years old, he was bullied in secondary school for being overweight and for having Tourette's Syndrome - a condition that causes a person to make involuntary movements and sounds, known as 'tics'. Classmates called him names and picked on him, often talking behind his back about his appearance and leaving him out of conversations. Not wanting to let them upset him, Brandon tried his best to focus on himself and his interests and to ignore their negativity - until his doctor told him he urgently need to lose weight and become healthier.
After seeing his GP, Brandon went home to his dad and, inspired by the Rocky movie franchise the pair enjoyed watching together, asked him if he could take up boxing. Initially, Brandon's dad was less than impressed and hoped Brandon would find a different sport to train in - but soon helped his son get into the sport.
Ultimately, Brandon had made up his mind: he wanted to learn to box, get better and better over time - and one day make a living from it. He wanted to prove to himself and to his school bullies that just because he had Tourette's and was overweight, it didn't mean he couldn't do whatever he set his mind to.
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Fast-forward six years and Brandon - now 18 - travels 90 minutes from Clydach in Swansea to Newbridge five days a week to be trained by former world champion Gavin Rees, has got a laundry list of championship titles to his name, competes all around the world – and has just gone professional.
Brandon’s dad, Jamie Scott explained: “Brandon started boxing when he was 12, he was very overweight and he’d been to the doctor and he came home and said ‘I want to box’. I thought ‘flipping heck, talk about the worst sport for him [being overweight]. I didn’t think it would be for him!
“But he stuck at it. He started with running and he would be miles behind the others, but he is determined. He stuck at it and started to win races. He lost three stone and started to box and then won every fight. He won the Welsh Novice Championships, then he was British Champion then he represented Wales internationally at the European Championships in Russia before the pandemic.
“He’s a professional now, he won his first professional fight on June 11 in Swansea, and he’s boxed in Lithuania, Spain and Serbia. I’m very proud, he’s relentless – when he gets something in his mind, it’s difficult to shift him!”
For Brandon, who went to Cwmtawe Comprehensive School, going pro is a huge “look at me now” moment – and a way of showing his old school bullies just what he’s capable of. He said: "I was getting bullied at school, they’d call me names and talk behind my back when I’d take my shirt off. But when kids call you names, it’s one thing – but when it [comments about my weight] came from a medical professional, it hit different, it hit home."
"And I have Tourette's Syndrome, which didn't help [when I was at school],” he added. “When you’ve got Tourette’s, it’s almost like you’ve got a really bad itch – you haven’t got to itch - but you’re just really uncomfortable sitting there and then in the end – Boof! It comes out like a big explosion, I let it out!”
Brandon refuses to let having Tourette’s hold him back. If anything, he uses it as something to spur him on. “In a way I think my biggest downfall has led me now to have my biggest advantage of not caring if people like me or not,” he said. “I want people to like me, don’t get me wrong, but if people don’t like me that’s no problem."
Ultimately, Brandon’s ability to focus on himself and shut out negativity has allowed him to use his Tourette’s to propel him forwards in his career. “My greatest disadvantage [my Tourette’s] has led me to my biggest strength,” he said. “I won my first fight on April 14, 2016. I was 12 – the feeling of winning hooked me. I wanted another win! I then went to the Welsh Novice Championships on April 29, 2014 and then went on to the Welsh Open Championships on February 24, 2018. Then I won gold at the British Championships!
“After that the Welsh team took me on. I’ve competed in Serbia, Lithuania, Spain, Russia and Portugal and had so many surreal experiences. Covid brought that to a halt but I said before Covid that I wanted to go professional – now I’ve turned professional and I’m training with [former World Champion] Gavin Rees. He’s The Rock in boxing – and he calls me The Pebble!”
Brandon trains for around 15 to 16 hours per week with Gavin Rees at his specialist gym in Newbridge and does extra boxing and training sessions at home – in a full-size boxing ring and gym his family have built in the garage - with his dad most days.
When he’s not training, he’s “constantly” thinking about boxing, he said, but also enjoys practising Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu, drawing, making things with Lego and watching Star Wars and “anything geeky”. At his debut professional boxing match, held at The Warehouse Gym in Cwmdu, Swansea last month, Brandon stepped out into the ring dressed as Darth Vader to the Imperial March.
Asked what advice he has for youngsters who may be struggling with their weight or being taunted or bullied at school, Brandon sounded wise beyond his years and said: “You can’t let people get to you. When you’re looking for others’ approval, you’ll never be happy! It’s very hard to please everyone, it’s easy to p*ss everyone off! Be you and be happy. I was bullied but who’s laughing now? It’s a big FU to everyone who said I couldn’t do it!”
Brandon would like to thank his family and his coach Gavin Rees for their continuous support, and would also like to give a special thank you to Stephen Brophy and the team at Premier ABC in Swansea for the training and support he received as an amateur. To get more Swansea stories straight to your inbox, subscribe to our dedicated newsletter here.
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