'I knew how to fight, I just didn't know how to box': Clarence Scott transformed his life one punch at a time

As a teenager in Winnipeg, Clarence Scott was in a gang, and dealing drugs. When he turned 18, he was sent to jail for attempted murder and firearm possession.

"I grew up in the North End, pretty much raised around the negativity of selling drugs, seeing alcoholism, drug abuse, family abuse, stuff like that," said Scott.

"And that's pretty much how I got into the violence cycle — the crime cycle — I started selling drugs, and started getting into a lot of trouble."

Scott served nine years in jail, and when he was released just over a year ago he wanted to stay out of trouble.

He was released without a place to call home, and moved into the Salvation Army in Winnipeg.

"Being released to the Salvation Army was hard for me … I had seen a lot of drug addicts, drunks and stuff like that [in there]," said Scott.

"My goal was to get out, to stay sober, stay clean, and seeing that every day started giving me thoughts about using and drinking and stuff like that - but I stayed strong."

At his parole office he was told about Pan Am Place — a transitional house for at-risk youth who are either living on the street or have recently been released from prison.

Pan Am Place is unlike other transitional houses, because in order to live there you have to not only put in volunteer hours doing chores, residents also have to live a healthy lifestyle which means learning how to box at the Pan Am Boxing Club.

"I found Pan Am and it was a game changer for sure. It helped me out a lot, it gave me a safe place, gave me a sense of a home," said Scott.

Before moving to Pan Am Place, Scott had never boxed before.

"I knew how to fight, I just didn't know how to box. But I caught on quick … the lady that taught me the basics, she told me I was a natural," said Scott.

"I quickly fell in love with it, and still to this day I try to come in to box whenever I can."

Scott has since moved out of Pan Am Place, but says boxing taught him patience and motivation — attributes he said helped him find a job, an apartment, and have kept him out of trouble.

"[You] come into the gym and everything goes away, all the negative thoughts, all the negativity just goes away," he said.

"There's going to be some hard times, but you just got to be willing to fight those negative thoughts. It really comes down to choices, right? There's hope, there's always hope for change, look where I came from."