Behind the Portrait: Peter Hughes

Originally published in our second print issue, Rhiannon Davies speaks with Peter Hughes, founder of Keep On Pushing, a local fitness company that specialises in teaching Muay Thai.

Portrait by Simon Murphy

Interview by Rhiannon J Davies

The thwack of a fist (or foot) on pads is now a part of the sonic tapestry of Queen’s Park during lockdown. The bandstand has become a makeshift training ground for everyone from dancers to skaters, aerial performers to Japanese sword fighters. If you’ve passed by recently you may have seen the pop-up Thai boxing school that has set-up in the arena.

Prior to the coronavirus outbreak, Peter Hughes worked as an audio engineer, travelling the world working on events and cruise ships. Grounded by the pandemic, and stripped of his livelihood, he decided it was time to change tack. He set up Keep On Pushing, a fitness training company, specialising in Muay Thai. 

This portrait forms part of Simon Murphy’s Govanhill series. Keep your eye on his Instagram (smurph77) for the limited release of his Govanhill photography.

I grew up in Mozambique, so I’m not from Glasgow. But my mum is – that’s why I ended up here. I was in London before that. It’s been an interesting change.

I first went to Thailand ten years ago. I spent four months training in Muay Thai. During that period, I saw my body transformed. Last year, I finally went back and got my teaching qualification.

Three years ago, I weighed over 14 stone and was really unhealthy. I’d lost my way. There were days when I couldn’t get out of bed. My mental health, depression and anxiety was really bad. But I had a catalyst for change.  

I began by training my neighbour in the back garden. Then last summer I jogged past the arena and thought it would be perfect. I started off with just two pads, but now I arrive with a huge trailer full of gym mats and all the proper equipment needed for training.

There’s a lot of play in Muay Thai. It’s completely different from Western boxing, which is more serious. It has a different energy to it, and I think I’m bringing that playful energy to the arena.

When people first arrive, they think they can’t do it. But after one or two sessions, you see their confidence grow. And it has an impact on other aspects of their life; the stress seeps away and they’re able to focus again.

I work with a core group of just eight people. I have a long list of people waiting to join, but there’s too much risk. We already wear facemasks and sanitise all equipment between sessions. But it would just take one person getting Covid to shut everything down.

Exercising outdoors with others keeps your mental health strong. Sometimes people arrive having a terrible week. But they always leave with a smile, energised and ready to go.

Muay Thai is musical and rhythmical. It’s very calming.  When you can show that calm in the pressure of a ring, you can show it in your workplace or other relationships. It changes people.

Every time we start a session, we bow to each other. It builds a respect between instructor and student that you don’t often get in Western approaches to fitness.

We look after the arena. Sometimes we arrive and it will be in a horrific state, with broken glass everywhere. We go with brooms and we sweep it up.

We need more sheltered outdoor spaces in Glasgow. Not just for fitness but for social activities, too. Once I came to the arena and there were two guys sitting on the floor playing chess. Why is there nowhere for people to go and play chess?

We don’t need more coffee shops. We need to have spaces where people can exercise at no cost. It’s something the community needs. Creating that space is one of my dreams.

You have to push. When you push, you can pull other people up. And when they push, they can pull you up. There are no shortcuts.