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Beyond the Bell: Frank Delaney
Report by: Kieran Fraser
For most people, the gym is a place to build strength. For Frank Delaney, it became the place where he rediscovered it.
Five years ago, Frank was diagnosed with diabetes. Like many people, he didn’t fully appreciate how serious the condition could become. Over time, complications with blood flow began to affect one of his feet. Despite treatment, the damage progressed up his leg and in January 2025, Frank underwent his first leg amputation.
Just months later, at the end of October 2025, he faced another devastating setback. His second leg also had to be amputated.
For many, that might have marked the end of a chapter. For Frank, it became the beginning of a new one.
“I knew it was going to be a tough struggle,” Frank says. “But I made my mind up that I wanted to walk again. Whether that was with crutches or without them, I set that as one of my goals.”
There was another goal to getting back to the place that had been such a huge part of his life: the gym.
Returning to Springhill Boxing Club looked different than before but Frank was determined that different didn’t mean impossible. Using a small mobility buggy to move around the gym, he quickly found new ways to coach. Instead of moving constantly around the ring, he adapted by working from his chair, propping himself against the ropes or in the corner of the ring while holding pads for the boxers.
“The only difference is that I can’t move like I used to,” he explains. “It’s tougher doing rounds of pads with some of the older boxers, but with the younger ones I’m very comfortable working from my chair. You just adapt.”
What hasn’t changed is the support surrounding him.
“The coaches have been spot on” Frank says. “Without them, there wouldn’t be a Springhill Boxing Club.” It’s not just the coaches who have made a difference. “The kids have been fantastic. If they won a tournament or a medal, they’d often come to my house just to show me. I’m not ashamed to admit it, it got emotional “
For Frank, those moments are a reminder that boxing is about far more than competition. It’s about belonging.
“Everyone in the gym is always there to help. Especially the kids, they have been a credit to the club, they genuinely care.”
That sense of inclusion has helped carry Frank through some of his hardest days. It has also fuelled his determination to keep setting new goals.
“Over the past couple of years, I’ve understood more than ever that if you want to do something, you’ll do it. There are setbacks, but you’ve just got to adapt.”
His latest target is another significant milestone.
“I’ve set myself a goal to be walking by the end of July.”
As part of Boxing Scotland’s Beyond the Bell series, Frank’s story is a powerful reminder that resilience isn’t about pretending life isn’t difficult. It’s about choosing not to let difficult moments define you.
His advice to anyone facing a similar journey is simple, but heartfelt.
“There are always going to be bad days, but it’s all about not giving up. Look around you and realise people are there to help. There’ll be days when you want to give up, but you’ve just got to keep pushing on.”
Frank Delaney’s story isn’t defined by what he has lost. It’s defined by what he continues to give to his club, to the next generation of boxer and to everyone who believes that inclusion means creating spaces where everyone can continue to belong, contribute and thrive.
Because in boxing, as in life, the greatest victories aren’t always won inside the ring. Sometimes they’re won simply by showing up, adapting, and refusing to stay on the canvas when dealt with a bad hand.
