1937 - 1957
John Pahara
John Pahara helped launch the club era that began in 1937. He coached for 20 years, competed while coaching, won provincial titles, and developed early Canadian and provincial champions that established the gym’s standard.
Leadership & Legacy
Coaching At Lethbridge Boxing Club
The club’s coaching tradition stretches from 1937 to today, with a focus on disciplined fundamentals, real athlete development, and the character values behind the phrase Rugged Tough.
Rick Duff
Head Coach
251 - 13
Amateur record listed on the original club site.
1984 Olympian
Represented Canada in Los Angeles.
5x National Champion
Multiple Canadian titles across his career.
Head Coach Since 2010
Continuing the club’s long coaching line.
Meet The Head Coach
Rick Duff competed from 1979 to 1984, and returned to compete again in 1989 and 1995. During that run he built a record of 251 wins and 13 losses, became a seven-time provincial champion, won five Canadian national championships, and fought in major international events.
He fulfilled a lifelong dream when he boxed for Canada at the 1984 Los Angeles Olympic Games. The old club history also highlights that Rick was part of a landmark era in Canadian amateur boxing alongside names such as Willie de Wit, Lennox Lewis, Shawn O’Sullivan, and Dale Walters.
After his competitive career, Rick served in the Canadian military and coached at clubs in Lethbridge, Calgary, and Edmonton before taking over Lethbridge Boxing Club in 2010. Under his leadership, the club has continued producing champions while maintaining a strong beginner-friendly culture.
Rick has also been recognized beyond the ring, including induction into the Lethbridge Sports Hall of Fame and the Alberta Sports Hall of Fame, recognition as Boxing Alberta Coach of the Year, and Alberta Boxing’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Head Coaches Over The Years
The club’s coaching line stretches from its opening in 1937 to today, showing how each era helped build the tradition, discipline, and championship standard that still defines the gym.
1944 - 1975
Tony Bogusky
Tony Bogusky was a longtime club leader and Hall of Fame inductee whose coaching years overlapped a major growth period for the gym. He worked with notable fighters including Kai Yip, Ed French, and Carmen Rinke.
1975 - 2010
Kai Yip
A decorated boxer and Hall of Famer, Kai Yip coached the club for decades and helped shape future champions including Rick Duff, Curtis Hatch, and Joel Mills. His era carried the club through generations of competitive success.
2010 - Present
Rick Duff
Olympian, five-time Canadian champion, and current Head Coach, Rick Duff has continued the club’s history while mentoring new generations of boxers and preserving a serious but beginner-friendly gym culture. He is also the recipient of Alberta Boxing’s Lifetime Achievement Award.
Our Coaching Philosophy
Coaching at the club is about more than technique. It is built around the mental and personal qualities the club calls Rugged Tough: humility, integrity, adaptability, teamability, and emotional strength.
Whether someone is training for fitness, learning self defense, building confidence, or preparing to compete, the goal is the same: teach solid boxing while building people who can handle challenge with discipline and respect.
Who Coaching Is For
The original site emphasizes that boxing at LBC serves a wide range of ages, abilities, and goals. Beginners are welcome, adults are welcome, and the club offers youth-specific options for younger athletes.
First-timers are encouraged to start without worrying about their current fitness level. The focus is steady progress, proper guidance, and helping every member find the right path inside the gym.
Ready To Train?
Reach out to learn which program fits you best, ask about getting started, or talk to the club about one-on-one coaching.