Boxer Bujold bows out of Commonwealth Games
Kitchener boxer Mandy Bujold has withdrawn from next month’s Commonwealth Games in Australia.
The 30-year-old flyweight is calling her step back from the ring “a sabbatical” after a dozen years of international competition.
“It was kind of a mix of a bunch of things, to be honest,” she said. “I did have a bit of an injury that kept me from training for a bit. That did kind of pushed back some of my training to be able to prepare for the Commonwealth Games.”
Boxing Canada’s decision to centralize its location to Montreal also played a part.
“If I don’t move to Montreal then I lose all my funding,” she added.
But Bujold, who has recovered from her injury, is happy in Kitchener, especially after landing a job at Communitech in business development.
“I’m really enjoying it,” she said. “So I thought I’m just going to focus on some of these other things right now. I think after 12 years at the international level, I can do that and not lose too much.”
Bujold was one of Canada’s top medal contenders heading to Australia after winning a bronze at the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Scotland and placing fifth at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Brazil.
“I’m still training every day and still involved in boxing,” said Bujold, who has an eye on the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo. “I’m still going to be a part of the national team program.”
And she remains busy. In addition to her new job, Bujold also runs her own high performance camps and has started a YouTube channel where she shares training tips.
“It’s not a retirement,” she said. “It’s a little bit of a year to figure out what I want to do. I think it will help me come back with a fresh perspective and a renewed love for the sport.”