A crop of young boxers from Chestermere and Langdon are getting set for a rumble in the ring on March 19, when Olympus Boxing Club hosts its next fight card at its Calgary location.
Chestermere resident Alex Halat said the upcoming fight card will likely feature about eight to 10 fighters who train out of Olympus Boxing Club’s Chestermere location.
“The nice thing is, a lot of the local kids in our community get to showcase themselves at these events,” Halat said, adding about 20 of the club's members come from either Chestermere or Langdon. “Boxing is fairly new to the town of Chestermere. We came here two years ago and didn’t expect the response we got from the community. It’s really blown up and we’re excited to show everyone what these kids have to offer.”
Halat said the fight card will be held at 4122 6 Street NE in Calgary, and the first bouts will get underway at 7 p.m. He added there will be 16 bouts in total.
The boxers will range in age, but Halat said the sanctioned bouts will feature athletes ages 14 to 22.
“It’s exciting in the sense that a lot of these fighters are youth and they’re trying something new,” he said. “A lot of our kids play hockey, basketball, football, and this is something that isn’t normal to our community. We haven’t seen a boxing match in Chestermere in almost 17 years. It’s kind of cool to bring it back.”
One local teen who is excited to don the gloves on March 19 is 14-year-old Evan Lester, a Grade 9 student at Chestermere Lake Middle School.
Lester said he took up boxing nine months ago, and is preparing for his second sanctioned fight.
“I lost that one so I hope to bounce back with this one,” he said.
“The first fight is always the toughest. You don’t really know what to expect in the first fight. I think I’ve learned a lot since then, and I know what to expect now.”
Lester said he always thought boxing was a “cool” sport, and something he wanted to try as a means to improve his fitness.
“I wanted to get into it to lose some weight and get into shape,” he said. “I got better at it, and started to love it more.
He added he enjoys the sport’s intense nature, and feels it has grown his self-confidence.
“You’re going at it for three minutes for three rounds,” he said. “There’s not really anything like it. It’s probably the hardest thing I’ve ever done. There’s lots of conditioning in boxing and you have to work very hard to win.
“It’s not the easiest thing to do, but after you do it, you feel amazing. It makes you grow as a person and is a very fun sport.”
Olympus Boxing Club opened in Calgary in 2015. The club expanded by opening a Chestermere location in 2020, in the upper floor of the Chestermere Recreation Centre.
While COVID-19 made matters difficult in the early days, Halat said the club has managed to stay afloat throughout the pandemic.
He added the popularity of the club has shown how high the demand was for boxing in Chestermere.
“The timing was terrible, but we managed to limp through and keep the club open for the kids,” Halat said. “Now the restrictions are being lifted, it’s really taking off, and has been great.”
He added he enjoys watching kids “come out of their shell” after their first few times in the ring.
“It’s amazing to see a kid come in who has never tried a sport, because sports never appealed to them like hockey, basketball, football, or baseball, and they try boxing and it’s something they gravitate toward,” he said.
“A lot of them come in shy and timid, and within a month, it’s amazing to see how outgoing they are and how much they talk. There’s a sense of confidence that builds in these kids in trying boxing and getting into the sport.”
There are 400 tickets available for the March 19 fight card, according to Halat. Those interested in purchasing them can do so at the Olympus Boxing Club in Chestermere.
