Lance McMillan
Photojournalist

A man runs up and down the bleachers during his training session. Located in Havana, Gimnasio de Boxeo Rafael Trejo is one of the oldest and most iconic gyms in Cuba for boxers to train. Named for law student Rafael Trejo González, who in the 1930s was killed following a march protesting the dictatorship of President Gerardo Machado, this gym has garnished fame for the success of athletes that have trained here that have gone on to great success. But the appeal of the club has come to extend well beyond a boxer’s reach too. With the run-down look of the gym -with its well-used equipment and faded pops of colour- the aesthetics and character of the place have helped it become a hotspot for all sorts of visitors and photographers who want to take in some training, or capture boxers training. *Please note, there is an admission fee/donation to the gym that is required in order to be allowed to document the training that goes on there, about 10 CUC. When I returned to the gym a few years after taking this photo, I brought a couple copies of the issue of National Geographic magazine of which this image was published. One of the boxers mentioned that he would give the magazine to the boxer's family as he left for another country with a girl.

Boxers prepare for a day of training.

Throwing punches during training.

During a training session.

Noel Hernandez poses for a photo inside one of the small rooms in the gym.

Boxers sparring in the ring.

Stretching in the morning during morning training.

A man hits a tire with a sledgehammer repeatedly.

Boxers of all ages train here, and seem to enjoy posing for photos too.

Light sparring outside the ring.

Boxers train with worn down equipment like this.

Training starts young.

Stretching occurs throughout the training day.

At the end of the morning training session.

Gimnasio de Boxeo Rafael Trejo.