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She trained hard and found the fighter spirit
By Andrew Gulyas
What it took to get into the boxing ring at Judgment Night III: Grade 12 student, Vanessa Smithies From Elkford
On February 1 at the Fernie Community Centre, I saw a young woman take it all to the next level.
Vanessa Smithies, who is a Grade 12 student from Elkford, started “training” in September with the Sparwood Boxing Club (Coal Valley Boxing Club), with coaches Sam Skiffington and Bruce Doey.
What I mean by “training” is what all boxers know to be a gruelling process of fitness and learning to fight all of their natural instincts. Getting started, an athlete needs to commit to hours of learning the fundamentals of punching, footwork and fitness. Then applying those basics to punching and hitting the heavy bag while being fast, quick and powerful.
Next is the sparring. All of a sudden, “the bag” is punching back. A new boxer now needs to watch as the punches come in, keep their hands up, and stand their ground. Sounds easy enough; however, when a fist is coming towards your face, eyes instinctually close, bodies turn to get out of the way and that urge to run away from the danger becomes very real.
None of these elements of training is done under a slow acoustic beat of rhythmic harps; it is all done with speed and intensity, a fast beat of controlled violence and tenacity. Seeing Vanessa at this fight, it was evident she persevered; she watched those punches, stood her ground, left pain and sweat in the training ring.
Sparring and training can prepare one to a point, but nothing prepares a person for the nerves and the intensity that a boxer feels stepping into the ring. It as if they are centre stage in a play compounded by the electric power of being in their first fight.
Vanessa stepped into the ring with authority. She kept that stomach-turning nervousness that would make a regular person either run away, or throw up, and put it all aside. Moments later, Vanessa and her fight training were tested.
”DING!” The FIGHT is on! Vanessa carried herself with poise, grace and a ferocity like no other. She threw her punches with speed, power and aggression. She moved her feet, she kept her hands up, as the punches came reigning in. She held her ground, she moved, she advanced all the while as punches collided with her body, to the head and arms. Vanessa showed her power, and fitness that not many other sports truly demand for survival, it was inspiring.
In these merciless three rounds, Vanessa earned the respect of the crowd and her opponent. Vanessa was fighting the woman in front of her as well as struggling to keep breathing and moving out of the way of the anvil punches of her competitor, while thinking about where to put her next punch with the fog of exhaustion, and pain at the forefront of every step and move.
“Ding!” It was over…Vanessa and her opponent went back to their corners; they took her gloves and she awaited the announcer to exclaim the winner…It was not to be. It was a shock. Vanessa lost…
This event, this process, and how Vanessa performed, in the end, it did not matter that she lost… (I mean it would have been awesome if she had won). She persevered; she performed under fire of the heavy and fast punches of her opponent. Vanessa was a warrior in the ring, she trained hard, she found the fighter spirit.
Great hustle Vanessa. You put everything into this; you found something that not everybody truly discovers in themselves until they are tested.
Lead image: Vanessa Smithies takes a breather between rounds and gets instruction from her corner.Photos courtesy Andrew Gulyas
