Two-time national boxing champion Jack Denahy is taking a break from the sport - perhaps for good.
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The Ballarat fighter stepped away from the ring at the tail-end of 2019, following a year which saw him claim a second Australian title and compete at the world championships in Russia.
It wasn't fear or injury which lead to the decision. Instead it was an overwhelming sense of fatigue from training around the clock.
"When I got back from Russia I got this feeling like I didn't want to train," he said.
"At first I thought it would pass and I kept going. But It got to a point my body was screaming for me to stop."
As he would later learn from a sports psychologist, Denahy was suffering from athlete burnout - a condition where athletes experience a decline in performance despite an increase in training.
And he had plenty to train for.
The 21-year-old was eyeing off the Tokyo Olympics and had little time to recover before Olympic trials in December.
He was also tired. Because he had to maintain weight, he wasn't eating enough. And rest was constantly on his mind.
"It was weird because boxing was something I'd loved for so long, and that feeling of not wanting to do it was so foreign," he said.
"It felt like I was getting to the gym and it felt wrong to do it."
Ultimately the decision was made for him. Despite being at the top of his game physically, he knew boxing wasn't something that could be done half-hearted.
"I was having thoughts like 'why am I doing this," he said.
"It's like I was trying to fill up a glass with water that was already full."
Nearly six months on, Denahy is in a better place. He's eating better, increased his social life, and is working his way through online courses in fitness and exercise science.
What's more, he has found a new way to channel his competitive drive.
"I used to run six times a week for boxing so I'm giving running a good go," he said.
"It's like boxing in that you get out what you put in and the environment is full of humble people."
Denahy ran his first race at the 2019 Ballarat Run for a Cause. Competing in the five-kilometre open, he finished in just under 18 minutes.
He has since shaved 20 seconds off his personal best, and is running regularly with Ballarat athletics coach Rod Griffin.
"I find it easy to switch off and it's such pure sport," he said.
Although he has no plans to return to boxing, he wasn't ready to rule out a return all together.
"I'm not putting a label on it," he said.
"I'm stepping back to recover and explore Jack Denehy outside of boxing and not let it define me."
