Montreal boxer makes history at Canada Games

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      “It just feels surreal," says Talia Birch, a Montreal boxer, back from the Canada Games where she made history, becoming the first woman to win gold in boxing at the Canada games. Felisha Adam reports.

      CityNews first introduced you to 17-year-old Montreal area boxer, Talia Birch, as she was on her way to the Canada Games. Now she’s back, and she’s not empty-handed.

      Making history as the first woman to win gold in boxing at the games.

      “Just like instant joy and happiness. And it just feels surreal,” Birch explained.

      Talia Birch winning at Canada Games. (Photo Credit: Jamaal Garner)

      Female boxing made its historic debut this week at Credit Union Place in Summerside, PEI.

      Birch winning in the 52 Kg weight division only picked up the sport during the pandemic. She’s currently undefeated and has a few medals to her name in her short time in the sport. This historic win, something her coach Jamaal Garner says speaks to her dedication.

      Talia Birch on the podium at the Canada Games. (Photo Credit: Jamaal Garner)

      “We put in all the hours, all the work, all the sweat, all the tears, all the blood, all of it,” she explained. “Honestly, everyone’s like, Oh, I don’t know how you do that for 4 hours, 5 hours a day. And like, this is life. I don’t know. It’s fun. Yeah. Like, some people would choose to go out or hang out with other people or whatever. But like, when I come here, I know that’s where I’m my happiest or when I transmit coach, it’s like the happiest place I can be.”



      “She trains more than anybody else here. She’s like the first in the last out. I always say the hard part of my job with her is getting her to stop training,” said Garner.

      As for Birch’s medal. “I absolutely went crazy. I was like screaming and cheering, and every emotion went through me at that moment,” explained Garner. “It’s just it’s everything. She literally wrote history. So there’s just so many elements to this whole story that make it magical.”

      But for Birch, it’s her happy place.

      “It’s literally my whole life. Like I couldn’t imagine life without it. I love it so much. And like everything.”

      Comparing it to the rest of her medals, Birch says the Canada Games one sits at the top of her achievements.

      Now she hopes her historic win will inspire young girls to join the sport.

      “They can see that it’s possible. And even though this sport is seen as a man’s sport or man-dominated field, it’s not. And they should start in pursuit and have fun,” she explained.

      What’s next for Birch? She says the national boxing tournament this summer and after that, the Olympics.

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