100 Mile House youth boxer wins his first match

100 Mile House's Lincoln Jensen spent the last three years preparing to step into a boxing ring. 

The Grade 10 student, who attends Peter Skene Ogden Secondary School, took part in his first official boxing match on Saturday, Dec. 7 against Burn Lake's Ryan Hansen in Quesnel at the Two Rivers Boxing Club's Rumble 33. After three two-minute rounds of combat, Jensen came out on top notching his first victory on his belt. 

"It was a bit nerve-wracking because I was training all that time before but it was also really exciting. As soon as I got in there I felt good and it was fun," Jensen said. 

A South Cariboo boy born and raised, Jensen said he's generally interested in athleticism and being physically fit. In addition to boxing, he's on PSO's rugby and basketball teams. 

Boxing, however, has always been a sport Jensen has been interested in peripherally. It wasn't until Grade 7 when he met PSO gym teacher and former boxer Kameron Taylor, however, that he got a chance to try it for himself. Taylor became Jensen's coach and the young athlete got down to work to train and learn how to box properly. 

"I just really liked in the movies (how cool) boxing looks. I wanted to be like that," Jensen remarked, referencing the classic boxing movie Rocky and its modern successor Creed. 

Taylor said he's offered kickboxing and boxing lessons for years and when a friend approached him about training Jensen, he got him enrolled in his weekly classes and started working with him one-on-one once a week. As Jensen became more committed and expressed a consistent interest he began taking courses to become a certified coach. 

"I love to share the experiential learning I have for myself and apply it to the person I'm training, for any sport," Taylor said. "With my kinesiology background, it helps coach kids and I get a lot more gratification helping our youth out." 

Learning how to box proved to be a lot of hard work, Jensen admitted, both physically and mentally. While he had to learn how to throw a punch and dodge a punch, Jensen said there is also an intellectual aspect to the sport. He's had to learn how to predict the movements of opponents and come up with ways to counter their attacks. 

To compete, Taylor said he and Jansen agreed to box at 160 pounds at the novice level. That meant in the weeks leading up to the fight Jensen had to commit to a pre-prepared meal plan to come in at the proper rate. Taylor said that you need to be within six pounds of the target weight, otherwise you won't be allowed to fight. 

"He was 159 at weight in so it wasn't too strenuous. Then for the next four hours before the event we had to get rehydrated and eat a nice big carb-loaded meal that takes four hours to really digest properly so he had that energy for that bout," Taylor explained. "It's a big process." 

Taylor remarked that returning to the world of boxing as a coach is different from his time as a competitor. He recalls how his interest in boxing began after he was having car troubles as a young man and saw a poster advertising an upcoming boxing match. Noticing the $1,000 cash reward Taylor decided to give it a try, reasoning he was tough enough to handle it. 

"I went in there with no boxing experience. I just trained for a couple of months and I remember my first bout was kind of scrappy and I got through that. I got through my next match and won my last one," Taylor recalled with a smile. "I couldn't believe I won and it was a broadcasted event. I remember yelling to the camera 'that's my new motor baby!' I was so excited." 

After that initial win, Taylor kept boxing for several years up until 2008, ultimately retiring with a 14 to 1 record. By contrast, being a ring man and a coach is a far different experience, Taylor remarked. The minute he had to rehydrate Jensen, give him advice and take care of any injuries went by quickly. 

During the fight itself, Jensen said those two-minute rounds seemed a lot longer as he exchanged blows with his opponent. Jensen said he felt he had a pretty good read on his opponent from the beginning and it showed in the judge's decisions. Taylor said that this match was also Hansen's first time in the ring, so the two were well-matched, with Jensen winning all three rounds by unanimous decision. 

"I didn't like getting punched in the face," Jensen chuckled. "I liked the outcome of it all and I thought I did fairly well."

Both Jensen and Taylor are now looking ahead to the next boxing match for Jensen to take part in. Due to the way the sport of boxing works, fighters can go months between bouts with different opportunities presenting themselves throughout the year. The two plan to challenge another opponent in the spring or summer, possibly after basketball and rugby season wrap up for Jensen. 

Jensen said he's looking forward to his next match and hopes to extend his winning streak. As to whether or not he'll pursue the sport professionally, he remarked he's not sure yet. In the meantime, he plans to continue training and having fun. 

"My coach Mr. Taylor motivates me a lot and it is something I enjoy doing," Jensen remarked. 

Taylor said he's proud of Jensen's accomplishments and how he's grown as a boxer. He also thanked Whizbang Boxing Limited, based out of Salmon Arm, who let them box under their name. 

"There's an emotional attachment when I'm helping a student or friend out. I get emotional when they get successful and you can see them flourish," Taylor remarked. "You can see the confidence building within their skills and that's what I like to see."