Peguis First Nation boxing club punching above its weight | CBC News

Vernon Cook says his boxing career started with a sandwich.

“I lived in the West End [of Winnipeg], and there was a corner store, and my future coach … was actually at the sub store I kept going for sandwiches and he asked me, ‘Hey, you look pretty big — would you want to try boxing?'” said Cook.

Boxing “helped me a lot to stay out of trouble.… In the early mid-’90s there was a lot of gangs in Winnipeg, and that kept me out of trouble a lot.”

Now Cook is passing along his skills to the next generation of Indigenous fighters at Red Warrior Boxing club in Peguis First Nation, in Manitoba’s Interlake region.

He offers several classes at the club, including youth boxing and a women-only boxing class. He also just started a class for people in the community’s addictions treatment program. 

When Cook was in amateur boxing, he fought as a heavyweight, but even at 6’2 and over 200 pounds, he was often the smallest guy in the ring. 

The sport took Cook around the world and taught him some valuable life lessons. 

“Dedication pays off — that’s the main thing, but also you learn respect.… There’s a ton of things that come with boxing,” he told CBC in an interview on Monday, ahead of Wednesday’s National Indigenous Peoples Day.

“It just pushes you to the limit. It’s the ultimate sport.” 

The Bear brothers

A little over a year ago, Cook started training the Bear brothers, both of whom are already competing as amateur boxers. 

“The Bear brothers — wow, they’re something else,” said Cook.

“They’re hard workers, they dedicated themselves to the sport, they respect it.… They’re the perfect students,” he said.

“I believe [boxing] kept them out of trouble and kept them striving for something else, and you see a lot of hard work they’re doing.” 

Wymen Bear said he didn’t know much about boxing before training with Cook, and initially he wanted to become a professional wrestler. 

“My auntie Rhonda told me there was some boxing classes going on…. Then I started training with Vernon, and then I started running, doing all these courses and stuff,” said Wymen, 19.

“I kept on going every day — like every single day. I was really dedicated to it.” 

Wymen already has 10 fights and five wins. The sport has taught him a lot about himself and what he’s able to achieve. 

“I learned how to control myself, and how to think, [boxing is] actually like a mind game,” he said. “[I] learned how to be strong … in [my] mind.” 

His brother Gabriel says boxing has helped him better cope with his feelings, letting it all out on the bag. 

“It took away a lot of the anger [I had],” said Gabriel Bear. “Every time I come here and train really hard, [it] makes me clear my mind.… I just reset my mind. It feels really good.”

Helping the youth 

When Cook opened the boxing gym in Peguis First Nation, he hoped that it would help keep the youth in the community busy and help some of them cope with mental health issues. 

“A former partner of mine’s nephew committed suicide, and it really hit me hard, so I thought, ‘What could I do for my community to help out?'” said Cook. 

He was walking through the hall of a building on the reserve when he heard the faint sounds of someone boxing. 

“There was some boxing bags there and some kids playing with it, and that’s when it dawned on me — boxing. Let’s do this,” said Cook. 

Cook says boxing taught him dedication, and hard work — skills he hopes to instill in his students. 

But the boxing gym in Peguis has become something more than just a place to get fit. 

“I can see a lot of youth that are troubled, I do help — if it’s one or 100 [youth], it doesn’t matter,” said Cook. 

“I do have some that do come here and just need a place with [someone] there for them, so that’s why I’m here.” 

Since launching the club, the First Nation gave Cook a room in an old elementary school. With the help of grants, he’s been able to fill the space with punching bags, treadmills, weights and even a boxing ring. 

“Boxing [is] such a cheap sport. You don’t need money like [you do for] hockey — you just need two feet and a heartbeat,” said Cook. 

The one hurdle Cook says he continues to face is getting the kids to the gym. 

“I used to pick all the kids up and my car — these roads are treacherous out here, and my vehicle’s gone now. It’s totalled,” said Cook. 

“It’s hard for some of the kids to get over here.”

The future of Indigenous boxing 

Indigenous boxing is on the rise, Cook says, and the sport just hits differently for Indigenous fights. 

“It’s just that warrior bloodline that’s in them.… It’s just something that switches on and it’s just something you gotta see it to experience it,” said Cook. 

He’s in talks with an Indigenous coach in North Dakota about making a sovereign Indigenous boxing team that can compete on the world amateur stage, including at the Olympics. 

In 2018, a similar model was used to create an all-Indigenous roller derby team for the world championships. 

“What I want to do is give back to my community. That feeling just keeps me going,” said Cook. 

“The Bear brothers, they’re making me proud, so yes, I keep going and I’m still looking for other diamonds in the rough around here.”

Cook wants to expand his club to nearby First Nations, and is willing to lend a hand to any First Nation hoping to start their own clubs. 

As for the Bear brothers, they hope to continue to fight in the amateur level, maybe one day making it to the nationals.

“Heck, I’m going to try pro boxing. That’s one of my favourite things to look forward to, one of my goals,” said Gabriel. 

Like Cook, Wymen says he hopes to one day share his love of boxing with other youth. 

“I even thought about when I get older is to become a coach myself,” said Wymen. “I thought about teaching kids too — that’d be really awesome to do that.” 

Boxing has taught him many valuable life lessons, Wymen said, and he believes other youth from Peguis First Nation could benefit. 

“Without the boxing gym, I’d probably be just a normal kid laying at home or something,” said Wymen. Boxing “got me really motivated.… [I hope to] really inspire kids to join boxing.” 

A First Nation boxing gym is punching above its weight

Vernon Cook is passing along his skills to the next generation of Indigenous fighters at Red Warrior Boxing club in Peguis First Nation, in Manitoba’s Interlake region. He offers several classes at the club, including youth boxing and a women-only boxing class. He also just started a class for people in the community’s addictions treatment program.