'It’s in their blood': B.C.’s only Indigenous boxing team vows to keep punching despite loss of funding
Inside the ring, a team of Nanaimo boxers are finely tuned athletes looking to compete and win, but recently Team 700 took a punch that buckled their collective knees.
The 10-member youth boxing club is B.C.’s only all-Indigenous team.
“Everyone of these youth are warriors,” said head coach Ivy Richardson. “It’s in their blood.”
The inclusive squad allows different tribes and genders to skip, shadowbox and spar side-by-side, but the team recently lost a key member, its financial backer.
“I was notified June 30 and it was effective immediately,” said Richardson.
“Our rent was due the next day so it put us in a tough position,” she added. “So we are fundraising so we can stay together in the interim.”
Started in 2019, Team 700 is a youth boxing club aimed at keeping children focused on school while arming them with athletic abilities they may not get without a structured group.
“The goal is just to give are Indigenous youth a safe place to get the tools they need to navigate life,” Richardson told CTV News.
The modus operandi appears to be working.
As she wraps her hands in preparation of a sparring match, teenager Kiana Peters describes what the group means to her. “It means, like, happiness.”
Across the gym, heavy-hitting 21-year-old Trent Jack says the team is like a family as he slams his fists into a punching bag.
“It’s important for, I’d say, my well being,” he says. “It’s my passion.”
Team leadership doesn’t want to publicize who their former financial backer is. The pugilists do, however, need help to stay in the ring.
A GoFundMe campaign has been launched to help cover their annual costs, which currently total around $40,000.
So far, the fundraiser has collected approximately $7,000.
Richardson is dismayed by the loss of funding, but is vowing to keep her eyes firmly on the future and team expansion.
Team 700 has been wildly popular among Vancouver Island First Nations youth and the team has a waiting list.
Richardson wants to expand her coaching team and get more ring time.
The head coach believes the team’s annual budget could soon top out near $75,000.
“We’ve started something really great and we aren’t going anywhere,” she said.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
BREAKING Iran fires air defence batteries in provinces as explosions heard near Isfahan
Iran fired air defence batteries early Friday morning as explosions could be heard near a major air base near Isfahan, raising fears of a possible Israeli strike following Tehran's unprecedented drone-and-missile assault on the country.
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer denied bail after being charged with killing Canadian couple
American millionaire Jonathan Lehrer, one of two men charged in the killings of a Canadian couple in Dominica, has been denied bail.
Nearly half of China's major cities are sinking, researchers say
Nearly half of China's major cities are suffering 'moderate to severe' levels of subsidence, putting millions at risk of flooding especially as sea levels rise.
Prince Harry formally confirms he is now a U.S. resident
Prince Harry, the son of King Charles III and fifth in line to the British throne, has formally confirmed he is now a U.S. resident.
Judge says 'no evidence fully supports' murder case against Umar Zameer as jury starts deliberations
The judge presiding over the trial of a man accused of fatally running over a Toronto police officer is telling jurors the possible verdicts they may reach based on the evidence in the case.
Health Canada to change sperm donor screening rules for men who have sex with men
Health Canada will change its longstanding policy restricting gay and bisexual men from donating to sperm banks in Canada, CTV News has learned. The federal health agency has adopted a revised directive removing the ban on gay, bisexual and other men who have sex with men, effective May 8.
Colin Jost names one celebrity who is great at hosting 'Saturday Night Live'
Colin Jost, who co-anchors Saturday Night Live's 'Weekend Update,' revealed who he thinks is one of the best hosts on the show.
Sports columnist apologizes for 'oafish' comments directed at Caitlin Clark. The controversy isn't over
A male columnist has apologized for a cringeworthy moment during former University of Iowa superstar and college basketball's highest scorer Caitlin Clark's first news conference as an Indiana Fever player.
'Shopaholic' author Sophie Kinsella reveals brain cancer diagnosis
Sophie Kinsella, the best-selling author behind the 'Shopaholic' book series, has revealed that she is receiving treatment for brain cancer.