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
MPP Sarah Jama asked to leave Ontario legislature for wearing keffiyeh
MPP Sarah Jama was asked to leave the Legislative Assembly of Ontario by House Speaker Ted Arnott on Thursday for wearing a keffiyeh, a garment which has been banned at Queen’s Park.
2 teens charged in Halifax homicide: police
Two teenagers have been charged with second-degree murder in connection to an alleged homicide near the Halifax Shopping Centre earlier this week.
Legendary hockey broadcaster Bob Cole dies at 90: CBC
Bob Cole, a welcome voice for Canadian hockey fans for a half-century, has died at the age of 90. Cole died Wednesday night in St. John's, N.L., surrounded by his family, his daughter, Megan Cole, told the CBC.
Here's why Harvey Weinstein's New York rape conviction was tossed and what happens next
Here's what you need to know about why movie mogul Harvey Weinstein's rape conviction was thrown out and what happens next.
12-year-old hippo in Japan raised as a male discovered to be a female
When Gen-chan arrived at a zoo in Japan in 2017, no one questioned whether the then-five-year-old hippopotamus was a boy. Seven years later, zoo staff made a surprising discovery: Gen-chan, now 12, was female.
'Deep ignorance': Calls for Manitoba trustee to resign sparked after comments about Indigenous people and reconciliation
A rural Manitoba school trustee is facing calls to resign over comments he made about Indigenous people and residential schools earlier this week.
Humanist group threatening to sue Vancouver over council prayers
The B.C. Humanist Association has threatened legal action against the City of Vancouver for allowing prayers at council, following a similar warning issued earlier this month to a smaller community on Vancouver Island.
LHSC performs a Canadian first in robot-assisted direct lateral spine surgery
Spine surgery may never be the same for people with chronic back pain and other physical ailments.
Honda to get up to $5B in govt help for EV battery, assembly plants
Honda is set to build an electric vehicle battery plant next to its Alliston, Ont., assembly plant, which it is retooling to produce fully electric vehicles, all part of a $15-billion project that is expected to include up to $5 billion in public money.