Once you start, it's just such a thrill, and the mental toughness you need just gives you such a high. Boxing is physical, but it's also mental. Women were first sanctioned to box in Canada in July, 1991. There is a push to have women's boxing included as a full Olympic event, perhaps in time for the 2004 Summer Games in Athens. Men receive a monthly stipend.
Participation rates are also too low to allow for a full team.
In Rayside-Balfour, for example, three weight classes were not represented. And while European countries provide their top male amateurs with 200 days of training and competition each year, Canadian women enjoy only one-tenth of that amount, primarily because of funding constraints. But there are significant reasons for hope. The first multinational championships are set for May in Finland, with 12 countries committed to sending teams. About 50 countries now boast some sort of women's boxing program.