LIBERTY — Boxing trainer Nick Delury is the owner and operator of Liberty Gym, a new business in the space that was once Liberty Fitness Center. His vision for the facility includes bringing affordable boxing training to Liberty, but also to offer a wide range of programs and activities that cater to the varied interests of the community. 

Delury said it was important for him to build upon the foundation that previous owner Cindy Fracasse, owner of Liberty Fitness Center, had established: he expanded the gym’s hours, increased the workout space and enhanced class offerings to provide a well-rounded facility where all fitness enthusiasts can work out. Though his background is deeply steeped in boxing, his interests are multifaceted and his views on health and wellness are progressive. 

In addition to Liberty Gym, Delury owns the Westchester Boxing Gym, which is a boxing-centric facility in White Plains. He also owns Namaste Catskills, a farm in Livingston Manor, where he grows vegetables in his greenhouse and practices sustainable living. He is in the process of adding a yoga and meditation room to the gym, and is interested in incorporating outdoor workouts and hiking excursions on his farm. 

Despite the nickname ‘Nicky Knuckles,’ Delury is far from a knucklehead jock, and his vision for living a healthy lifestyle that includes growing one’s own vegetables and focusing on nutrition make his addition to the Sullivan County fitness community a valuable one. When he sat down with the Democrat for an interview, he brought a salad of fresh-picked vegetables from his greenhouse.

At age 21, Nick Delury discovered boxing by accident when he wandered into a community center in White Plains.

“It was called Cage Teen Center, a free after-school program for anybody in the community that wanted to learn boxing. They had other things in the building at that time- they had music and auto mechanics, and it was free of charge. So I happened to wander in there by accident, that’s how I met the boxing coaches and then got into boxing.” 

Delury was homeless and had no money at the time; even though the program was free, people made donations.

“To pay my dues, my trainer, after about a week of training, said, ‘Why don’t you help me train this kid over here, I’m shorthanded.’ I said, ‘I don’t know what I’m doing.’ My trainer replied, ‘Teach him what I taught you last week because he knows less than you know.’ That’s how the whole training thing started…I think my trainers Kid Sharkey and Charlie Caserta definitely saw that I had potential and tried to figure out where to guide me: ‘Is he gonna be a good trainer, is he gonna be a good boxer, is he both?’”

In 1996, Delury opened his first gym, called Boxing Connection, in Mount Vernon. After a few years he restructured the business, relocated to White Plains, and reopened as Westchester Boxing Club, an appointment-only gym where boxers work with experienced trainers to improve their skills and get in shape. 

Delury has 28 years experience as a boxing coach, amateur boxer and professional sparring partner, and has traded licks with many famous boxers and coaches over the years. He shared a humorous story about Olympian and two-time Heavyweight Champion George Foreman. 

“I had the opportunity to work with Lou Savarese who fought a lot of top world championship heavyweight contenders; Lou fought George Foreman for the title, he also fought Mike Tyson. I was in camp training with Lou, and his training regimen was slightly different because he was vegetarian; being a vegetarian heavyweight is not an easy thing. It was funny because George Foreman came into the hotel room [in Atlantic City after the fight with Savarese] and he goes, ‘I never thought a vegetarian could hit so hard. He hit me harder than anybody’s ever hit me, and I hear you’re a vegetarian.’” 

Delury shared his concept for The Liberty Gym: “The vision is to make sure that it stays a community gym, and I expand off of what was already here in existence.” 

Delury offers more classes now, including evening classes, and added personal training to the options. He has also expanded business hours; they are now open from 5 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 7 a.m. to 6 p.m. on weekends. 

“We have a wide range of programs and we definitely want to have a top quality boxing program [competitive and recreational] here since my background is training boxers,” said Delury. “So I’d like to have a very high quality of training when it comes to teaching the sport that I love with an old school approach at an affordable price.” 

You can visit Liberty Gym at 85 N Main St, Liberty, NY, and reach out to schedule a free tour or class at 845-292-0756 or libertygym.com.