This queer Perth boxing class is a hit in tackling loneliness
One in three adults experience social isolation in what experts say is a "dangerous" issue in society. One suburban boxing group is working to tackle the issue, focused on the LGBTQIA+ community more at risk of loneliness.
Amid renewed warnings about the negative health impacts of social isolation, a small boxing class in Perth's inner-west is working to tackle loneliness by fostering a sense of community among participants.
The non-combat boxing sessions held at a PCYC are focused on LGBTQIA+ participants, but anyone is welcome.
The classes are volunteer-run and held monthly. (ABC News: Kenith Png)
Sonya Frossine found the free monthly class felt different to traditional fitness environments.
"I felt like an outsider in those spaces, but in The Boxing Project, there's never been a single class where I've felt that way," she said.
"I just feel more confident walking out into the world, both on a physical and a psychological level."
The queer-focused boxing group has been around for three years, but ramped up in 2025. (ABC News: Kenith Png)
Ms Frossine said people should "never underestimate" the value of getting out and socialising.
"I think the project is so, so powerful in the thesis of it — women, queer people, we're here to take up space, to get stronger, to meet each other."
It's a message she thinks rings true in light of a recent Household, Income and Labour Dynamics in Australia (HILDA) survey which found young people between 15 and 24 years of age experience loneliness more than any other group.
Those numbers were in addition to research papers from the US and UK that found LGBTQIA+ people were more at risk of loneliness than their heterosexual peers.
A non-gendered space
The monthly class is an extension of The Boxing Project which was founded in 2017 and focused on empowering women in the wake of the MeToo movement.
The queer-focused classes are the brainchild of instructor Amy Collins, who said the project was about people feeling comfortable in their own skin, and tackling loneliness.
While Amy Collins says traditional gym environments are improving, they wanted to created an inclusive space outside them. (ABC News: Kenith Png)
"The idea was that often gyms can be spaces that might feel a little bit intimidating for people to walk into and join," they said.