A TALENTED young boxer from Bala has been crowned world champion.

Gwion Ellis is yet to join the professional pugilist ranks but has reached the top in the very competitive world of hybrid fitness racing.

The 21-year-old mechanic at a Corwen garage headed to Florida full of confidence to take on the world’s best at the DEKA World Championships at Fort Lauderdale on 5-7 December.

He competed against elite athletes in two events – DEKA Fit and DEKA Mile, both designed to test overall strength, endurance and agility.

After finishing a ‘disappointing’ fourth in the DEKA Fit on the Friday, the dedicated sportsman composed himself and came out fighting to be crowned DEKA Mile king the following day.

The key difference between the two lies in the running segments between the 10 exercise zones: DEKA Fit requires a 500-meter run before each exercise zone, while DEKA Mile involves a shorter 160-meter run.

After a rigorous training regime heading into the event the young fighter, who has won most of his amateur bouts, predicted that the trip would the ‘highlight of his year or possibly his life’.

His target was to win the title and he certainly produced the goods.

Gwion Ellis will take on elite athletes at the DEKA World Championship in Florida
Gwion Ellis took on elite athletes at the DEKA World Championship in Florida (Gwion Ellis)

The former Ysgol Godre’r Berwyn pupil said: “It’s a funny feeling to be labelled a world champion.

“I struggle with the sense of achievement. I’m always thinking of what’s next or how I can do things better, to be honest.”

He added: “I went out too quickly in the Deka Fit and burned myself out.

“I wasn’t used to the heat in Fort Lauderdale and I was sweating excessively.

“After going back to the hotel I drank a lot of water and had a good chat with myself about why I was out here and that I wasn’t here to just make up the numbers.”

Gwion says he is the fittest he's ever been ahead of the competition in Fort Lauderedale
Gwion said he was the fittest he'd ever been ahead of the competition in Fort Lauderedale (Gwion Ellis)

Gwion, who was joined on the trip by bis brother Gethin, a fitness trainer by trade, and a friend went on: “I changed my tactics for the DEKA Mile the following day thanks to Gethin Ellis Coaching.

“I backed myself more and felt great with three stations to go. I turned the screw and gave it everything I had and thankfully I came away with the title.”

Though Gwion first discovered running at Ysgol Godre’r Berwyn, his true passion lies in boxing and he has ambitions to turn pro next year.

His rigorous training regime includes sparring, gym sessions, and countless miles on the roads around Bala—preparation that served him against some of the world’s fittest competitors in Florida.

Gwion is hoping to enter the professional ranks of boxing next year
Gwion is hoping to enter the professional ranks of boxing next year (Gwion Ellis)

On his schedule before flying out he explained: “I’ve had six or seven solid weeks of DEKA-specific training on top of my boxing. I’ve never been this fit. Boxing demands fitness, but DEKA requires strength too. Right now, both are working hand in hand.”

Earlier this year, Gwion won the 32-mile Sea 2 Summit Offa’s Dyke Ultra Marathon in an impressive 6 hours, 31 minutes, and 25 seconds—just shy of Lee Mahon’s 2021 course record of 6:09:47.

Starting on the Prestatyn seafront, competitors ran along the Offa’s Dyke trail taking in several peaks to the finish point on the summit of Cyrn y Brain above the Horseshoe Pass with over 2,000 metres of elevation gain in total.

Follow his journey on Instagram and TikTok: @GwionEllis