‘It’s his superpower’: story of autistic boxer who trained in garden shed to become film

The journey of Billy Long Jr hit close to home for Nick Moorcroft, who is now writing the script for a film that will begin shooting next yearHe was an unbeaten professional boxer for three years until financial and mental health struggles forced him to retire, but Billy Long Sr went on to punch well above his weight in saving disadvantaged youths with mentoring that has now inspired a successful British film-maker.When his son, Billy Long Jr, was facing the challenges of autism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and bullies linked to local gangs, Long feared the worst. He decided to protect him by home schooling him and created a boxing gym in a garden-shed on a council estate in Chelmsford, Essex. Continue reading...

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