They come through the doors carrying more than gym bags. They carry the weight of neighbourhoods that have already made up their minds about them — streets that have taught them to react before they think, to posture before they feel, and to hide vulnerability beneath a layer of indifference that adults too often mistake for attitude.

But step inside the training space of Fit Like a Fighter, and something shifts. The noise of the outside world gets quieter. The gloves go on. And slowly, sometimes painfully, young people begin to discover a version of themselves they were never shown how to reach.

At the centre of it all is Odean Taylor — fitness trainer, MMA coach, and the kind of quiet force that does not announce itself. For over 15 years, Taylor has worked in the fitness space, but it was his decision to weave combat sports into his training programmes that changed the trajectory of his career and, more importantly, the lives of the young people he works with.