Boxer takes life lessons from the ring

“I just thought the best thing that I can do is not show sympathy and not tell what a fine human being she is but make her earn her way thought the gym and she did that.”

Laliberte lost her first two fights, but something changed for that third fight.

“The third one she, dominated, she absolutely dominated her and that’s because she lost the fear of the whole physicality of it. The difference was night and day. She was a fighter, that fight she earned the title to be a fighter,” said Koch.

When Laliberte arrived at the Prince Albert Boxing Club, the Wildcats as it was then called, she wasn’t looking to make major life changes.

“I wanted to get into shape and get some exercise. One of the girls where I live had previously come here. I just decided to come along and try something,” she said.

Laliberte said it was tough, lots of times she wanted to give up and a couple of times she did, but in the end she would come back.

“Most of the time the war that’s the hardest is the one on the inside,” Koch said, about the mental and emotional strength boxers need.

During a person’s first fight, they are pushed to the absolute limit and even training cannot prepare the person for their first experience, he said.

“That’s why boxers are weeded out so quickly, only the toughest stick around.”

At first glance, Laliberte doesn’t look like she could be among the toughest. She’s tall, slim and pretty.

Often people don’t believe she is a boxer, she said.

“It’s because she’s pretty and they don’t expect pretty girls to be fighters,” Koch said.

For a man who is limited with his praise, it is easy to see Laliberte has earned her place among his favourites.

Koch laughs and jokes with her while she warms up and stretches and has patience while he corrects how she punches or where she holds her hands.

“When I start using someone as an example to follow, it’s because they’ve earned that right. She did that. When I give a compliment it’s earned, it’s not cheap,” he said.

Laliberte said who she is now has been shaped by her time in boxing — that the lessons inside the ring are being applied to outside life. She said she used to just keep to herself, only answering questions with clipped yes or no.

“But now I’m more open, I’m more open to conversations … I encourage others even,” she said.
Koch has witnessed the change.

“She went from being so controlled and so contained to being more outgoing, more settled in herself, more confident, not afraid…” he said.

The take home message from boxing is learning to face and overcome obstacles, Kosh said.

“Obstacles are obstacles, boxing, life, doesn’t matter. When you learn to overcome them … even if they are tough, you learn it can be done,” he said.

“So when you go from here, it’s just a different ring. Life is just a different ring, as far as I’m concerned.

“You are not afraid to try. You lose the fear of what the obstacles can do to you.”

Laliberte graduated, with honours, from Carlton Comprehensive High School this spring and Koch was among those cheering her on from the stands.

She’s applied for university and is planning to take first year general arts and science, with plans to eventually focus on psychology, and she’s continuing to box for at least another year.

What has she learned from it all?

“Just to not give up I guess. For the situation I am in with the foster care system and everything, it’s down-some on teenagers and most people my age and (yes) it is, but you just have to keep yourself busy and motivate yourself and, I don’t know, get with the program.”

ahill@panow.com

by Angela Hill

Boxer takes life lessons from the ring

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