Windsor fighter aims to inspire during his quest for gold
“I'm really excited to get in there tonight and prove myself.”
That’s what Jayden Trudell said while in Brampton trying to become a national boxing champion.
He says every bout strengthens his resolve to be a positive influence.
“Any other people bullied or assaulted before who feel bad, down on themselves, you know scared and have bad anxiety,” Trudell said. “That's not it right. There's more to that. There's stuff you can do.”
In 2018, Trudell was a grade 9 student at Herman when he was assaulted by three teens, who were later found guilty and sentenced. The now 18-year-old says he uses that experience as motivation.
“If I'm ever feeling down, don't wanna go to the gym, feeling bad oh don't wanna run I just go back and think about that cause it's my pure motivator,” he said.
Border City Boxing Club coach Andre Gorges is proud of his athlete's success and recalls a story involving his prized fighter after he won the provincial championship.
“His grandma comes to me crying and I said ‘what's wrong?’ She said she just remembers maybe like four years ago like it was yesterday the doctors telling his mom that she has to get her stuff together because he might not make it,” said Gorges.
The Holy Names grad says, for him, boxing doesn't equal revenge.
“I'm not trying to do it to get big and strong and go and beat the guys up who beat me,” Trudell explained. “It's more so I can prove to myself and prove to others and show others that I'm not a victim. I'm not a weakling right.”
His coach says Andre has taken a positive approach to becoming an elite boxer.
“He's seen these kids and he probably could get revenge on them but he's not looking for that,” Gorges said. “He walked away because he's just looking to change his name from Jayden the kid that got bullied to Jayden the champion boxer and he's doing that.”
Trudell is in the semi-finals against a fighter from Quebec. If he wins he'll fight for the gold Sunday at 1 p.m.
“Of course, I'm super proud,” he said. “I've come a long way but the job ain't done yet.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
EXCLUSIVE | Security increased for prime minister's advisers after break-and-enter incidents
Ottawa Police are investigating an attempted break-in at the residence of Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's national security adviser, the second such incident involving one of his top aides in recent months.

'Nova Scotians' sense of safety was rocked': RCMP failures dominate inquiry's final report into 2020 mass shooting
A long list of failures by Nova Scotia RCMP leadership and policing systems dominate the final report into Nova Scotia's April 2020 mass shooting.
Memes, ski etiquette and that missing GoPro video: Highlights from the Gwyneth Paltrow trial
When two skiers collided on a beginner run at an upscale Utah ski resort in 2016, no one could foresee that seven years later, the crash would become the subject of a closely watched celebrity trial.
House abandoned by couple who 'disappeared' years ago nightmare for neighbour on upscale street
A Toronto man, whose neighbours vanished eight years ago and left their home completely abandoned, said he's fed up living next door to a property that is in complete disarray.
UCP candidate, slammed for comments on pornography in schools, quits
A candidate for the United Conservative Party in southern Alberta has resigned after she posted a video claiming children are being exposed to pornography in schools.
Here's how to know if someone is struggling with a video game addiction: Expert
A scientist at CAMH says video games have similar addictive features to gambling which cause social isolation of the individual and dependency on the activity.
'No question there need to be changes': PM responds to Nova Scotia mass shooting commission report
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau offered a brief initial response to the final report from the Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) into Canada's worst mass shooting, which claimed the lives of 22 people in Nova Scotia in 2020. Vowing changes will come, here's what Trudeau said in Truro, N.S.
TREND LINE | Poilievre surpasses Trudeau when it comes to preferred prime minister: Nanos
The federal Liberals are trending downward on three key measures while Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre has surpassed Prime Minister Justin Trudeau when it comes to the question of who Canadians would prefer now as their prime minister, according to Nanos Research.
Coroner rules against officer's 'suicide by cop' theory for Sammy Yatim inquest
A Toronto police officer's request to explore a theory that a distraught teen he shot was trying to die by "suicide by cop" has been rejected by a coroner overseeing an inquest into the youth's death.