Young boxing champs have winning spirit

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You may not have heard the names Tramaine Miles and Leslie Pasqua yet, but these two 15-year-olds have already taken the boxing world by storm.

It has only been a year since Miles and Pasqua began competing but their stellar performances in the ring have shown that they have the potential to one day become world-class athletes. The two boxers took part in the Cadet Nationals held in St. Catharines, Ont. in May, with Miles coming home with a gold medal. That win also earned Miles a nomination for Sask Sport Inc. May Athlete of the Month.

Miles, who is from Ochapowace First Nation, said one of the best things about going to competitions is the chance to make new friends from across the country. As one of the few girls that train with the Ochapowace Boxing Club, Miles, who dreams of making it to the Olympics one day, said there are plenty of chances for her peers to get into the sport.

"Girls have a really good opportunity to go far because there is not really that many girls in boxing," said Miles, who is an eighth grader at Kakisiwew school.

Miles had a rather bumpy start to her competitive career. After losing her first four fights, coach Wesley Sunshine had planned to talk to Miles about pursuing another activity.

"She wasn't showing too much heart and desire. So we switched up her schedule on her and I think it inspired her to work harder," said Sunshine.

The road to becoming an award-winning athlete has meant following a rigorous training regime, which required Miles to wake up and go "running really early in the morning."

It has paid off, said Sunshine, as Miles has made "huge leaps and bounds" in the past year.

"I promise her if she keeps working, because I've seen what's out there ... in the next three to five years she'll probably be a world champion because she's got that ability in her. I've seen her work extremely hard and want to go for it," said Sunshine.

Pasqua, from Pasqua First Nation, is another athlete to watch. A hockey player and track runner, the Grade 9 student at Michael A. Riffel high school in Regina took up boxing as a form of cross training. A natural ability has allowed Pasqua, who trains at the Pasqua Boxing Club, to excel in the sport and led him to win the provincial boxing championships in Edam last fall.

"He's a phenomenal athlete. He's a great hockey player, he's an excellent boxer, he's an excellent track star ... He's 6'2, 145 lbs. His physical presence in the ring is just something else because most guys he jumps in the ring with are maybe 5'10, 5'11 ... And he's a hard worker so that's why he's winning and so successful. His physical fitness level is on the elite side compared with his opponents," said Sunshine, who coaches Pasqua as well.

Pasqua's father, Neil, has a coaching license and assists Sunshine at the boxing club. He said boxing has allowed his son to gain self-respect and discipline.

Like Miles, Pasqua was selected to compete at the Cadet Nationals but after his defeat against the number one ranking boxer in the first round, Pasqua was eliminated. He has taken the loss stride, calling it just "the luck of the draw." It has also made him more determined to win next year.

"I think it was a confidence boost because he knows what he can do. He knows what he's capable of doing and he can't wait to go back next year and hopefully, he learned from the mistakes he made out there," said Sunshine.