BUFFALO MEPS, N.Y. –
The scent profiles of classic chocolate chip, nutty peanut butter and buttery toffee are all too familiar to Navy Lt. Cmdr. Cory Flament, Buffalo MEPS commander. He co-owns a cookie company near the MEPS with his partner in baking gourmet treats, and partner in life, wife Brittany. The sweet scents he was used to are a stark contrast to the odorous smells of vinyl punching bags and sour sweat he found himself drawn to just last autumn.
Putting down the oven mitts to wrap his hands in layers of tape and thin gauze, Flament stepped into a local boxing club on a whim. Casal’s Boxing Club is only a 15-minute drive from the MEPS he leads, and boxing sounded like a great activity for him, his wife and kids.
“I thought to myself that I gotta stay in shape and boxing sounded fun,” said Flament. “I found Casal’s Boxing Club and began going to practice every day. I fell in love with it, it’s a family thing. I have teenagers so it’s not all fun and games but having that in our routine, by the time it’s over, everyone’s happy. It’s a great stress reliever.”
In just a matter of months, Flament would surprise himself in a final match this April that made him the 2024 New York Golden Gloves champion. Nearly 40, Flament says he is now in the best shape of his life. Although most boxers begin their careers as teens, Flament serves as a testament that it’s never too late to try new things.
“I’m 38-years-old so my athletic days, you would think would be over for the most part,” said Flament. “To be able to show my kids that if you put your mind to something, you can do it has been invaluable.”
Flament, who boxes in the heavyweight division, has a kind face and optimistic demeanor. He has the opposite disposition of fighters like Mike Tyson, whom his trainer has in his contacts. He credits that trainer, Ray Casal, with pushing him to step into the ring. He started going to the gym twice a day, every day, to perfect his hook and prepare for the Golden Gloves series.
“I started working hard thinking I would compete in 2025,” said Flament. “Ray looked me in the eyes and said he feels I could be a champion. I was thinking next year but he told me an opportunity opened to box in this year’s Golden Gloves. I never back down from a challenge. I would work out for lunch and again after work to get in shape, losing 26 pounds.”
Flament says his staff has been supportive throughout the process, turning out and cheering him on for the semi-finals and then the championship fight. The support helped keep his endurance up when he needed it most.
“The week before the championship match, I came down with a cold,” Flament said. “The day of the match was its peak. I was dizzy. I was thirsty. Everyone’s coming up to me like, ‘How do you feel?’ I just had to smile and tell them I felt great. The reality was that I was really sick. Afterwards, I went home and slept.”
Now that he has the title and a gleaming trophy, Flament says he hasn’t fully broken in his boxing gloves just yet. He continues to use the sport as a positive outlet to get out stress and get his heart rate up. If the cards align, he will fight as a headliner in September. He said that he wants to continue to show both his people at the MEPS and his kids that you can accomplish anything you set your mind to.
“Motivation is free, but execution is priceless,” said Flament. “If you think you can do something, you can. From joining the military, to becoming an officer, to taking command of a MEPS, I just set my mind on it and made it happen. We create our own reality.”