New national boxing champ hung last year’s silver by her door as a daily motivator

By Anil Jhalli

When Marija Curran and her peers at the Beaver Boxing Club train, they often address each other as “champ.”

That reference has a whole new meaning for the Ottawa native now that she’s won a gold medal at the 2017 Canadian Boxing Championships.

“It’s a phenomenal feeling,” says Curran, who won her women’s 81 kg gold medal bout by unanimous decision over Mississauga’s Melinda Watpool on Apr. 28 in Quebec City. “It means so much to me.”

Curran trained in jiu jitsu in her teenage years, competing until age 18. At 15, she’d taken up boxing to improve her hand combat skills, and later decided to pursue boxing more seriously after her post-secondary studies. Curran has been a competitive boxer for three years now.

“I just realized I was talented at it, so I decided to go for it,” explains the recently-turned 30-year-old.

The Quebec City event was Curran’s second consecutive trip to the national stage. In 2016, she claimed a silver medal.

“Last year, my goal was simply to qualify for nationals, and I was happy just doing that,” Curran notes. “I won silver and went beyond what I wanted to do, and then after, I just changed my mindset.”

The daytime federal government employee hung her silver medal by her front door so that when she left home and returned every day, it would be a reminder of what her next goal would be.

Curran ramped up the intensity of her training, now six days a week year-round, and sometimes twice a day closer to a competition.

“This year, it wasn’t just to qualify for nationals,” she indicates. “It was to qualify and win gold.”

Curran credits her success to her coaches and peers at the Beaver Boxing Club, which has given her more exposure and the ability to travel and train across the globe, while participating in more fights as the year progressed.

“I’m just happy to succeed this way,” signals Curran.

Reigning national champion Erica Adjei (women’s 54 kg) settled for a silver medal at the nationals, losing her final by split decision, while Ottawa’s Kaitlyn Clark was 4th in the women’s 64 kg.