Cultivating Community

What boxing and mushrooms teach us about healing, grit, community and growth

By Grace Adele Boyle

People holding bags of new socks and underwear lined up outside The Corner Boxing Club, restlessly shifting their weight and checking their phones. Something had drawn them there: Curiosity. Community. As they waited for the doors to open, hushed voices wondered aloud what it would be like inside. When the door cracked open, a smiling man with a free-
spirited beard welcomed the crowd, directing them where to donate the clothes and handing out waivers to sign. “Thank you for coming,” he said, “Have fun!”

This clothing drive and mushroom giveaway event was organized to support community members in need while introducing people to the healing potential of psilocybin. Hosted by The Corner Boxing Club, Lucky Ranch Learning Lab and Shroomsquatch Myco-Ventures, the unlikely partnership and event—combining community aid, boxing, mushroom cultivation and outdoor education—aimed to bring together diverse approaches to healing, growth and confidence-building.

Inside, tables filled every corner of the gym, covered in psilocybin mushrooms. Capsules, chocolates, sprays and thick-capped stems were curated in individual bags by the mycelium consultants sitting behind each table. The crowd slowly weaved between boxing bags, patiently lining up under a worn poster of Muhammad Ali, waiting for their turn to speak with the professional growers about their mushrooms and take some home––for free (Prop 122). This is one of many community events hosted by the trio of businesses.  

Former elite Army athlete and Olympic-level boxer Carrie Barry founded The Corner Boxing Club after an ACL injury ended her competitive career and redirected her passion toward coaching. “People come for the fitness and stay for the community—or the confidence, or the thing they didn’t know they were looking for,” Barry says. From youth programs that build physical and emotional skills in kids, to Rusty Gloves classes supporting people with Parkinson’s disease, to sparring, personal training and group fitness—The Corner offers something for everyone. It’s become a second home and a lifeline community for many in Boulder.

As a 501(c)(3) non-profit, The Corner hosts fundraising events such as Unite to Fight, where community members—many of whom have never boxed or even stepped into a ring before—take on the intense challenge of boxing in support of causes they care deeply about. Each year, Sam Wagner of Shroomsquatch Myco-Ventures donates cordyceps to help the athletes with energy and recovery during the event. To Barry, this collaboration with the psilocybin community is a natural extension of shared values: growth, courage and service.

“We do a charity event called Beer and Bags, and no one blinks. But there are far more positive psychological and neurological benefits to mushrooms than alcohol,” Barry says. “People see boxing and mushrooms as a strange pairing. That’s only because they’ve never boxed. There’s nothing that would teach you more about yourself than stepping into a boxing ring. And Sam would probably say the same thing about the journey with mushrooms.”

Wagner founded Shroomsquatch to teach mushroom cultivation and something deeper: empowerment, accessibility and healing through hands-on education. He offers in-person classes on cultivating psychedelic, gourmet and medicinal mushrooms, plus online courses and grow kits for home cultivators. Like Barry, Wagner brings a gritty, humble heart to his work—one shaped by 15 years of social work in Appalachia and Hawaii. Disillusioned by how systemic structures failed those they were meant to serve, he left the field but kept the values.

“I always say it’s actually a bad business model,” Wagner laughs, “Because my intention is to make everyone as empowered as possible to do everything on their own.” 

Now, he brings those same values to every workshop and private consultation he offers. In these classes, students sit together, surrounded by jars, spores and substrate. The vibe is equal parts science lab and community circle. Questions fly, jokes land, and no one leaves without their hands in the dirt. “The social work part’s never going away … people still die, people still grieve, people still need help. I hope that when they learn to cultivate something, in this case, mushrooms, they ultimately learn to cultivate kindness more than anything else. Cultivation teaches us empathy for ourselves and others.”

Since Colorado decriminalized personal use and cultivation of natural psychedelics in 2022, state-licensed healing centers and therapeutic psilocybin sessions have expanded rapidly. Wagner’s classes for therapists now fill up fast, often with waitlists. The demand reflects a growing hunger for this kind of healing work.

“Collaborating with a therapist allows for something really unique: they can offer clinical supervision and CE credits,” Wagner says. “So, it’s not just a science class—it can further someone’s career. It’s continuing education, and it’s healing work. They can write it off. It’s a no-brainer for them.” 

Kate Welle, Wagner’s wife and a familiar face at The Corner’s boxing classes, planted the seed of this collaboration. A personal chef and founder of Clear Creek Vittles, a culinary business built on local, nourishing ingredients, Welle connected with Barry first. Once Wagner was introduced to Barry at Unite to Fight, the collaboration naturally took root.

When Wagner told Barry about his work and that he was trying to find venues to teach classes, she offered up the gym. “That’s just the kind of person Carrie is; she’s so
community-minded. Boulder is lucky she’s here,” Wagner says.

Their shared ethos of discipline, community and healing is what fueled their initial collaboration and their shared value of “legacy over ego” is what continues it. 

As Barry puts it, “My success will always depend on whether I can lead [the gym] to continue without me.” The same is true for Wagner, who teaches mushrooms as both food and metaphor—a living network of knowledge meant to be passed on.

Check out upcoming events, classes and volunteer opportunities at:

TheCornerBoxing.com 

Shroomsquatch.com

LuckyRanchForaging.com