Mandy Bujold inspiring local boxers

CTV Kitchener: Bujold headed to quarter-finals Tyler Calver spoke to the Kitchener boxer after she won her first match at the Rio Olympics.

It was a day Mandy Bujold had been working towards her entire life. Friday she competed in her first ever Olympic boxing match.

The 29-year-old from Kitchener scored a unanimous decision over Yodgoroy Mirzaeva of Uzbekistan.

Local boxers who have not only followed her progress over the years, but have trained alongside her, were beaming with pride.

“She was incredible. Just absolutely incredible,” says Kelly Sanzsole, a coach at the SydFIT Health Centre in Kitchener. “I see her train here, she does an amazing job. But to actually see her in action, actually see her put what she puts from her practice into real life is amazing.”

“I’m proud to say she’s a local athlete,” says Brenda Benard, who has trained with the Olympian in the past. “I have two teenage daughters who are athletes as well. I think it’s empowering for women.”

Bujold spoke to CTV News from Brazil after the fight. She says that even though she’s thousands of miles away, she can feel the support from her hometown.

“The amount of messages, and emails, and tweets and things that I’m getting is incredible,” says Bujold. “I definitely feel the support from everyone over in Kitchener and throughout Canada.”

Bujold’s next match will be in the quarter-finals on Tuesday. She will square off against Cancan Ren of China.

With reporting by Tyler Calver and Darren Stevenson.