The ring road to Paris will pass through the Sooke Community Hall this weekend when several hopefuls for the 2024 Olympic Games will be fighting in the fourth annual West Coast Wonder Women, one of only five amateur all-women boxing cards in the world.
“This is about gender equality and women’s empowerment in the sport of boxing,” said Ellen Connor, head coach of the host Sooke Boxing Club.
“It’s about shifting the narrative and showing women can box.”
They sure can, as attested by Islander Terris Smith, Sara Kali of Montreal and Stacia Suttles of Philadelphia. Multiple-time national champion Kali at 66 kilos and national bronze-medallist Smith at 57 kilos, a Langford CPA in her civilian career, are vying for spots on the Canadian team for the 2024 Paris Olympics and Suttles, nicknamed The Natural, on the U.S. Olympic team for Paris at 66 kilos.
The three will be competing in Sooke to prepare for their respective national trials, with the 2023 Pan Am Games in Santiago, Chile, this fall a direct qualifier for the Paris Olympics. The trio won’t be alone. The Sooke card has attracted 106 top amateur female boxers from across sa国际传媒, the U.S. and 28 from Mexico, with 65 bouts to be held over three days.
The West Coast Wonder Women event began in 2018 and was also held in 2019 before being interrupted by the pandemic. It returned in 2022 with the fourth edition beginning Friday at 5 p.m. and running through sessions at 11 a.m. and 6 p.m. Saturday and concluding at 11 a.m. Sunday. Tickets are at the door and online at westcoastwonderwomen.net.
“It’s about women supporting women in boxing and all sports,” said Connor
“If we don’t do it, who will?”
Toward that end, Connor, an NCCP Certified Level 1 Boxing sa国际传媒 coach, founded the Sooke Boxing Club in 2016 to provide a platform for female fighters in the sweet science.
“Boxing teaches you so much that is applicable to life,” said Connor. “When you get knocked down, in life or in the ring, do you get back up?”
There will also be workshops and panels this weekend for the boxers on bout preparation and safety and talks by professional boxers.
