‘This is my victory’: Cape Breton burn victim to open youth gym

Cape Breton burn victim reclaiming sport After spending three years in hospital recovering from burns caused by a fire, a Cape Breton man is making his dreams a reality.

A Cape Breton man is taking back the sport that was almost taken from him when a fire nearly claimed his life seven years ago.

Dwayne Dalton has been a fighter in the ring for the majority of his life, but his scars tell the story of a different battle.

In 2010, he was injured in an explosive fire that left 70 per cent of his body burned.

"When I was lying in the bed, even then I knew that I’d do this again someday,” he says.

Dalton was an accomplished boxer in his day and coached the sport for years before the blaze.

Now, after three years spent in a hospital bed, Dalton is starting to put together a plan to open a new gym for youth.

He found the space inside a former church on Mira Road in Cape Breton, N.S. He says it’s almost been a dream of his own.

"Nothing can't be overcome, you can beat any odds. If you put your mind to it,” he says. “Take it one day at a time…today could be the worst day of your life, but tomorrow could be the best day of your life."

Dalton’s clients range from aspiring pro boxers to children as young as five-years-old. They all have one thing in common and that is their belief that Dalton is one of their greatest inspirations.

"I’ve seen him in Halifax, when he was in the burn unit. Nobody expected him to ever come out of that,” says boxer, Mike Cusack.

Another client, Ryder Hennick says Dalton’s story drives him to train harder.

"After what he's been through, he's out here opening a new gym and that's pretty good,” Hennick says.

The gym's official grand opening is set for Jan. 7 and Dalton says new clients are still being accepted.

He says says he is also trying to help kids in the fight against bullying, but while his gym is about helping others, he also considers it a milestone in his recovery.

"I envisioned it, and here it is. Now it's real. I think other people first, but to me, this is my victory.”

With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald.