Boyd`s Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award for his inspiration generosity and humanity

Boyd Melson, has been an amateur and pro star in boxing, a career military man, but his most admirable quality is his kindness and willingness to help others, for the betterment of us all.

Each and every day and in so many different ways, he`s willing and able to lend a hand, has a plethora of ideas, putting them into action, by walking his talk via initiatives, loyalty and consistency, seeing things through from beginning to end. The mark and shining characteristic of the man.

An outstanding amateur boxer, who then made the successful transition to the pro ranks.  In the build up to this Boyd was 2004 World Military Boxing Champion, four times Army Champion and three times US Armed forces Champion and a standout/alternative for the Olympic Team.  In 2013 he won the International Jewish Sports Hall of Fame Good Guy Award and he was inducted into it. In 2014, Boyd he won the World Boxing Council Ambassador of Peace Award and the WBC Cares for Humanity Accolade.

Amazingly Boyd, only took up boxing during his Freshman Year at West Point, from which he graduated as a Lieutenant and was then promoted to Captain. He is now a lieutenant Colonel in the Army Reserve.  Back in the West Point Class of 2003 Boyd and his colleagues made the pledge motif of: ‘’Protection of the Free,’’ and everything he has done and achieved since, embodies that sentiment and fulfils that promise. Part of it involves thinking ahead and preventing as well as curing.

Boyd`s record as a pro boxer is 15-2-1, 4KO`s. Every penny he earned has gone to spinal injury research.  He devoted himself to this cause, after meeting Crristan Zaccagnino. As a child aged ten, she suffered a serious spinal injury due to a diving accident and her courage plus determination to walk again one day, inspired Boyd.  His work in this sphere which includes championing stem cell research, continues to this very day. He also works as a counsellor to military vets who suffer with post- traumatic stress and also helping homeless vets, using his expertise. He graduated from West Point with a degree in psychology.

For his devotion, dedication and caring, Boyd has won many awards. One of his proudest, is His Presidential Lifetime Achievement Award, although aged just forty- three, he has many aims, goals and dreams yet to fulfil.  He explains:

‘’I`m an honorary member of a fraternity called MU Beta Phi Alpha. They are veterans who have done projects in the public eye. To eradicate Veteran homelessness is the number one priority and we do a lot of events throughout the country. We go out to feed the homeless. They submitted some of their members names unbeknown to me and President Joe Biden signed off on this.’’

For Boyd, the starting point, which then directed and governed his destiny was his decision to study at West Point. It included a mandatory gym class, which all freshman must take and pass. Boyd took up boxing, competing in the annual tournament and it was then he discovered his aptitude and natural talent for boxing. In his first year he earned the collegiate national title. This led to the Armed Forces Championships where Boyd won gold and this qualified him for the Olympic Trials.

Some of the other young boxers who were there were: Andre Ward, Anthony Dirrell, Andre Berto and Lamont Peterson. He lost to none other than Austin Trout. Rarefied company indeed. Boyd then qualified for the World Military Championships. He made it to the finals, after only seven fights post college and defeated a fighter from Uzbekistan who had just won the Inter-nineteen championships. Then The US Championships and lost a very close decision to Danny Jacobs in the semi- final, even having put him down for a count. Boyd made the national team to compete in the World Championships, where his room- mate was Gary Russell Jr.

BTW, Boyd was simultaneously earning his MBA at the same time. He had to write eighteen papers and get his work done, completing it in time, before the training preparations and competing in the World championships Tournament in China.

Boyd has been both an amateur and a professional boxer. He says he enjoyed the amateur phase the most recalling how difficult it was to juggle his options, after turning pro, explaining: ‘’There was a tremendous amount of chaos in my whole life around my career. This is what never gets spoken about. I was working full time in Johnson & Johnson. I had an hour twenty commute each way, every day. I brought my training clothes to the office, so I could run during lunch time, to keep my weight down. I was an Officer in the Army Reserve, I was teaching classes and then my public, motivational speaking started picking up. And somehow… I squeezed in a boxing career around all of that!’’

But even before the pro phase, Boyd was gasping for fresh air after just one round, asking his friend Shawn Porter, how it was possible a fighter could fight ten or even twelve rounds. As his fitness, governed by mindset developed, he found the answer, on a voyage of discovery.

Boyd says the three key moments in his life, which set a course for his destiny was: Going to West Point, discovering Boxing, which by the way found him and meeting Crristan and her waking him up to his purpose. He said: ‘’With spinal cord injury, they are making a lot of headway using non-surgical modalities, placing electrodes on the skin above the injury.

‘’Right now in the United States we spend ten billion tax dollars every year to care for the three hundred thousand Americans with a spinal cord injury. It`s the single biggest health care expenditure for a medical condition. Companies put all their money behind one thing and what it`s going to take is a combination. It`s in the United States` best interest to cure this and it`s an injury, which means you are never safe.’’

Concerning his West Point Pledge of: ‘’Protection of the Free,’’ Boyd has come to realize: ‘’It outlined my purpose and the big thing about protecting, is that it also involves what could happen, which could be a spinal cord injury.’’

Of all the photos in the gallery we show you, Boyd`s favourite is with his Staffordshire Bull Terrier Diva Marie. But there are a number more, showing and depicting a life of service to others and to humanity. Yet it all might never have happened, but for an act of extraordinary courage and presence of mind, by one of his grandparents who was facing certain death.

Boyd`s family history is tenacious. As a child, his Maternal Grandfather, who is a holocaust survivor from Poland, defied and changed fate. Boyd said: ‘’My Grandfather, while being put on a train en-route to a death camp, escaped by sliding down the receptor full of defecation. It deposited him down on the track, allowing the train to pass over him, until he could run off and escape. This is what he did to fight for his life. And he promised, that if he survived, he would devote his life to God and to helping humanity.’’

That promise is still being kept and fulfilled by two ensuing generations. Their Star of David is Boyd.