CHOICES (Episode #9) – Trevor Cedar

Trevor Cedar: Boxing gym entrepreneur offers firsthand wisdom for anyone struggling with addiction

Trevor Cedar is the owner/operator of Deland Boxing and Fitness, a gym in Deland, FL, that uses heavy bags, high-intensity cardio and boxing-style workouts to make fitness fun and effective for people of all sizes, ages and fitness levels.

Trevor was born in Australia, grew up in England, and eventually made his way to Miami Beach, where he worked for a decade as a doorman and manager of some of Miami’s most upscale night clubs — for you south beach fans, we’re talking names like Velvet and Groove Jet, to name a couple. That road had gigantic ups and downs, as you will hear, and lead Trevor to founding South Florida Boxing.

One gym success quickly escalated into four gyms in Miami, and Trevor was living large. He was awarded the key to the city of Miami Beach, recognized by Don King for promoting boxing events including charity boxing matches between the police & fire departments of Miami Beach.  Created a plaque for the 5th Street Gym locations honoring both trainer Angelo Dundee as well as Dundee’s most famous fighter, Muhammad Ali (Cassius Clay). The recession of 2007-08 was just part of the collapse of Trevor’s boxing empire. He also became mired in the rockstar life, nearly losing everything to drug addiction.

Fast forward to 2019, and Trevor has risen once again, but this time with noble intentions and a selfless will to help others fight back from their own demons.

Trevor is happily married to Debbie Cedar — an extraordinary example in her own right — and they live in Deland, Florida with their six-year old daughter.

Trevor’s story has some big direction changes, or what he calls, “lifetimes.” What I invite you to hear are not merely the choices he made along the way, but perhaps more importantly, the meaning he now makes of those choices as he carefully looks back on a life that, in many ways, nearly hit rock bottom. I believe we all have demons in the closet, and Trevor offers some valuable advice for anyone trying to fight those demons alone.

Thank you, Trevor, for your vulnerability, and thank all of you for tuning in.

For any parents out there, fare warning, this episode touches on some sensitive topics for the little ears in your families. To everyone else, please enjoy this wild ride with Trevor Cedar.