BC Boxing stood strong at the Haringey Box Cup in London, winning best team at the competition over entire countries who sent athletes to compete.

Haringey is one of the largest amateur boxing competitions in Europe and has been a proving ground for famous fighters like Anthony Joshua. Between June 17-19 Victoria-based boxer Terris Smith was showing her mettle in the ring.

Smith won her first two fights but lost in the final in a split decision. Smith wasnB次元官网网址檛 the only B.C. boxer who succeeded in London. Braydon Horcoff, who used to train at the Island MMA Training Centre in Victoria and won best male boxer at Haringey. The team as a whole won four gold medals and two silver medals.

B次元官网网址淚 really do believe thereB次元官网网址檚 a lot of good boxers out of here. I think logistically weB次元官网网址檙e challenged in the sense of weB次元官网网址檙e a very large province with not a lot of people in it. So sometimes itB次元官网网址檚 hard to get the experience that we would like to have. But we just proved internationally where the depth of epoxy is in this province,B次元官网网址� said Jason Heit, a coach at the Island MMA Training Centre who travelled with the team.

Three fights in three days is tough physically but in some ways, Smith said she preferred it.

B次元官网网址淲eB次元官网网址檙e in Europe, not at home, so you canB次元官网网址檛 go and get a massage or go do our normal things B次元官网网址� weB次元官网网址檙e sharing an Airbnb with six people, thereB次元官网网址檚 one bathroom, the bathtub doesnB次元官网网址檛 work (so you) canB次元官网网址檛 take a bath. Obviously physically you get worse but mentally I got better. So itB次元官网网址檚 kind of funny the way that works because when you fight one day and when you keep going you have that momentum to build on. So itB次元官网网址檚 just an opposite thing B次元官网网址� physically and mentally. I think I would rather be more mentally prepared than physically.B次元官网网址�

Getting those fights makes a positive change from the past two years of COVID where fights were hard to come by, particularly on the womenB次元官网网址檚 side, said Smith.

B次元官网网址淧reviously I was fighting the same people, I fought some girl probably four times now. But now thereB次元官网网址檚 just more people involved, and now being at a higher level there are more opportunities to go into these international events and travel across Canada just to get more get some more experience.B次元官网网址�

Smith now faces a summer of strength training before her next fight in October before preparing again ahead of provincials and nationals early next year.

If Smith wins at nationals that could put her in line for the Olympic team in 2024.

READ MORE: WATCH: Local female boxer rings in silver at first national championship

ALSO READ: Boxing making Island comeback in Esquimalt

bailey.moreton@goldstreamgazette.com
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