Life outside and inside the box(ing)

Isabelle Perreault, right, goes against Quebec champion, Desni Boisvert, during a fight at the Canadian senior women’s boxing championships.

Isabelle Perreault has often been considered a pioneer in the professional arena. Witness the improvements she helped bring about on the University’s Web domain as e-marketing manager, or her achievements when head of the Ottawa chapter of the International Association of Business Communicators.

Perreault also has a few significant successes in the real boxing arena—a sport she began seriously about three years ago. Crowned Ontario champion in the 66-kg class last December, the native of Sudbury went on to win a bronze medal in the Canadian senior championships in St-Hyacinthe, Quebec, on January 23.

Perreault trained intensively for a year with Canadian boxing legend Joe Sandulo before getting her first competitive fight in September 2003. Her record now stands at ten wins, four losses. The Ottawa Beaver Boxing Club member isn’t just standing pat; she’s already training for future competitions. “I take on as many bouts as I can throughout the year to build my record and grow as an athlete,” she says.

The Canadian Amateur Boxing Association is lobbying for the inclusion of women’s boxing in the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing. At 30 years of age, Perreault is still young enough to be eligible, although she doesn’t even dare to nurture such an Olympic dream for herself. But she does want to help younger female boxers reach that goal. “I think of women boxers, at this time, as pioneers. I want to help promote the sport and its benefits to young athletes.” With that purpose in mind, she has already obtained her level one coaching certification and is working toward her level two.