A safe haven. An outlet. A form of physical therapy that allowed him to unplug from the realities of his world growing up. For Chordale Booker, this is what boxing embodied. It was a sport that he immersed himself in after high school, and one that would prove to change the trajectory of his life in the years to come. It wasn't all smooth sailing though. When he was 18 years old, Chordale found himself completely unsure about his future after facing a minimum of 13 years for some serious charges. Would this be it? Would this be the end of his story? What happened next is something he oftentimes reflects on and is eternally grateful for. He found his second chance at life in the Honorable Judge White, as he gave him three years probation instead. This was it. This was the opportunity Chordale needed to transform his life, and sure enough, he did just that. As an amateur, Chordale became a highly-decorated fighter and earned an array of accolades—including an Elite National Champion award, Boxer of the Year recognition, and Golden Gloves championship—before making his professional debut in 2016. He hasn't slowed down since. As a professional boxer, Chordale has continued to foster his legacy in the ring—most recently winning the WBC US title. Along with this, he has also made an impact outside of the ring through his "Go the Distance Foundation"—an organization committed to mentoring at-risk youth, breaking down barriers between them and the police, and providing a safe space to grow and learn. Currently preparing for his next fight on August 12th at Mohegan Sun Casino in Connecticut, Chordale is locked in on what's ahead; and is excited to continue using his platform, story, philanthropic ventures, and community work to pay it forward and inspire the next generation.
Diving into your journey early on, what were some challenges that you faced as you embarked on your journey in boxing and how did you work to overcome them?
I would say the biggest challenge I had in boxing was wanting to be #1 in the country. It took me five times, five years fighting multiple tournaments. Then, that same year, I became number one and I also became the Golden Gloves Champion in New York. Those were two goals that I set out in the beginning and it took me five years to get there. There were times where I doubted myself, but I just kept going because I knew I could do it. Those were the tough times where you lose and you ask: “Am I good enough? Why do I keep losing? Why can't I get over this hump?” I just kept challenging myself (though) to be better.
In 2016, you made your professional debut. How was that transition from amateur boxing to professional boxing like for you?
I think the transition was pretty easy. As Americans, we fight more like professionals in the amateur stage—which is kind of why we haven't in years had a really good, solid American team. I think we fight too much like pros as amateurs, so we do well transitioning our amateur fighters into the pro ranks but we don't do well in the amateur boxing world stage.
Throughout your career, you've achieved an array of milestones including becoming an Elite National Champion, earning a spot in the Olympic Trials, and winning Boxer of the Year. What did earning those accolades and achieving those milestones mean to you?
They mean a lot to me as the fighter. I still have so much more I wanna do, but you saying that…sometimes I need to hear that to remind me: “Oh wow, I did. I did do a lot in the sport.” I don't really give myself that much credit because I'm always looking at the next (thing). What’s next? What do I do now? I never really get complacent in my life and I don't get complacent in my career either; because we're only as good as the last opponent or the last thing that we won. Once we win that, I feel like we should always set out to just be a better human, a better fighter, a better parent, a better whatever we do. I think we should always keep growing.
"Yeah! Definitely my biggest one is just being more for my community and having a solid understanding of what I can do for the kids, what's important, and what's more important than boxing to me—and that is (to) give them that belief that they can do whatever it is that they want. I always tell kids that you don't have to be a fighter. Even though they come to train and do boxing, I'm like: “Yo, you can apply the same structure of a workout and how hard you are going in this (to) whatever you want to do. You apply that same pressure. Take those same things and you apply it there. You can do it.”"
- Chordale on some key takeaways or lessons that boxing has taught him and he has carried with him outside of the ring.
Diving into some of your ventures beyond the ring, in 2018 you launched your Go the Distance Foundation. What was the inspiration behind starting your own foundation?