Ava Nicols
Editor-in-Chief
The sudden death of Cedric Jones at age 46 on October 16th left the South Bay still. This community-wide loss reinforced a piece of advice Jones gave to many of his students, which was to live every day like it’s your last.
“I’m hopeful that everyone can work together to help Cedric’s message of working hard and being positive live on,” senior Ashna Patel said.
Jones was a retired professional boxer, actor, owner of Beastie Boxing Gym in Manhattan Beach, as well as the founder of the BMoved foundation. According to senior Camden Stone, many students from Mira Costa cherished their time training and working with Jones and will deeply miss his presence in their lives as both athletes and people.
“Cedric taught me to never give up and keep pushing when things get difficult,” sophomore Georgie Phillips said.
According to Patel, Jones dedicated his life to helping people in and out of the gym. Earlier in his life, Jones struggled with homelessness. He was committed to giving back by starting the BMoved foundation, which worked to provide numerous outreach services to the youth in the underserved areas of greater Los Angeles. Some of his efforts included mentorship programs, educational enrichment, mental wellness support, life transformation skills, and local service initiatives like toy drives during the holidays.
“No matter who walked into the gym: a stranger, a friend, or someone that went to Beastie every day, Cedric would always give them the warmest welcome and encouragement to walk out of the gym more confident and proud of themselves than before,” Raquel Fiallos said. “He had the most energy out of everyone I know.”
Jones ran Beastie Boxing, a both locally and a celebrity beloved gym in Manhattan Beach. Many adults and teens across the South Bay trained with Jones at Beastie or working out locally. The gym on PCH was his main hub for students, however he led workouts on the beach in Manhattan, running around town, or could also be found at BayClub in El Segundo.
“After every workout was a motivational speech,” Fiallos said. “Whether it was telling us to do one kind act that week, take care of what we were putting into our bodies, or make it the best week ever. He would always end with: ‘Life’s too short, go home and tell your family how much you love them’ which is so ironic.”
A memorial run was held on October 22nd to encourage members of Jones’ family, Beastie gym, and the South Bay community to come together, wearing black and white in solidarity with the Jones Family. There was also a memorial beach workout held on the following Saturday on the 28th to celebrate the life and honor the legacy of Cedric led by many of the founding and current Beastie trainers. Last night, a Prepast was held at the Beastie Gym for members of the South Bay who wanted to pay their respects and a Celebration of Life will be held today at 10:30 A.M. at First AME Zion Church in Los Angeles.
“Attending these events truly showcased Cedric’s widespread impact on the entire community. So many people from different communities came together to honor and celebrate him because of his profound impact on each person he knew,” Patel said.
Any individual who had the chance to train in the Beastie gym will tell you that Jones was a light in anyone’s life he touched. Jones will forever be remembered as an important figure of strength, upstanding citizen for equality and positivity, and eternal motivator.
“We can all help Cederic by joining the gym and attending the best and hardest workouts ever and by helping with his foundation [BMoved],” Fiallos said. “All he ever wanted was for each and every person to be the best that they could be. He will be missed every day. There is no one like him. ”
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