ST. LOUIS — In 1988, the Metro East was well represented at the Olympics in South Korea. The great Jackie Joyner-Kersee won two gold medals in track & field and Arthur Johnson boxed for Team USA. Now, he's teaching the next generation.
"I've had quite a few kids come through, and I don't know, maybe hundreds, thousands of kids that I have worked with, that I have touched their life," Johnson said.
Johnson boxed for the U.S. in the flyweight division. He made it to the 16th round in 1988, losing to the eventual gold medal winner Kwang-Sun Kim from South Korea.
The next generation is now training with Johnson and he sees any kid putting in the work going far in the sport.
"Some kids when they come in here I can actually see them, like I'll have a glimpse of seeing their future even before they see it," Johnson said. "Any kid that comes through these doors I see them becoming champions."
Johnson said boxing isn't just about the sport itself, but what the sport can help you within the rest of your life.
"Builds so much more than just the ability to box," Johnson said. "What they take from this is the discipline that it's gonna take to stick with anything that's worthwhile sticking to. It's going to put in them what it's like to go after that goal. What it's like to have that desire to want to accomplish."
Johnson said another thing he likes about the sport is that it can make better people in this world.
"The long part of the story is the fact that they turn out to be great people," Johnson said. "That's the beauty of it, is that they turn out to be great people because the world could use good people."