Syd Vanderpool works Mandy Bujold’s Olympic corner from a different continent
Boxing coach dishes out advice from more than 10,000 kilometres away in Kitchener training gym
KITCHENER — Syd Vanderpool is giving new meaning to social distancing.
The Kitchener boxing coach is more than 10,000 kilometres away from prized fighter Mandy Bujold as she pushes for the podium at the Tokyo Olympics.
“I’ve never done something like this,” said the retired pro boxer. “Usually, you’re with your fighter and in their corner.”
But Team Canada selected its own coaches for the five pugilists competing at the Summer Games, so Vanderpool has to advise from afar.
That doesn’t sound so bad, until you consider that Bujold is punching on a different continent and in a time zone that is 13 hours ahead.
And with women’s preliminary flyweight fights scheduled to run Sunday from midnight to 7 a.m. (our time), it will mean little sleep for the skipper.
“Sometimes it might be 3 a.m. when I get to talk to her but I’ll take whatever time I can,” he said. “I’ve got lots of Red Bull kicking around and I guess I’ll get it out and make it happen.”
Vanderpool’s history with Bujold goes back a decade, but he’s been her main in-ring mentor for the past three years while working out of his SydFIT Health Centre on King Street East in Kitchener.
He had Bujold primed to peak last summer before the Games were postponed due to COVID-19. The twosome has been training hard since then in preparation for Bujold’s swan song.
She almost didn’t get to Tokyo. After this year’s qualifiers were cancelled, again, because of the pandemic, fighters were selected based on criteria going back to when Bujold was pregnant and postpartum. But she appealed that ruling to the Court of Arbitration for Sport and won to secure a spot at the Games.
She’ll find out her first opponent on Thursday and Vanderpool is ready.
“We already know the girls in her bracket,” he said. “I have video on all of them. Once the specific opponent is picked, I will go through and find her strengths and weaknesses and
have that game plan for that fight ready.”
Vanderpool is in constant contact with Bujold, via phone, text, messaging services and on Zoom. That chatter will be dialed up around her fights when the pair prep for, and then break down, all her bouts.
But having personal contact is crucial.
“I always say to my fighters that if I don’t look worried, they don’t need to either,” he said. “But how do I convey that? They can’t see my eyes. Having them feel calm and confident and knowing that they are prepared is a big thing. You can transfer that energy in person so now I’m trying to transfer that via video, on a phone call or text message.”
Bujold came to Vanderpool as a polished technical fighter but the 48-year-old coach has helped widen her repertoire.
“He really helped me bring that creativity and fun into boxing,” she said. “I think I’m a completely different fighter now.”
And Bujold, who finished fifth at the 2016 Rio Olympics and is the first Canadian female boxer competing in back-to-back Games, will miss him.
“He’s the person and coach that knows me the most, knows what I can do and what I’m capable of and what we’ve been working on in the gym,” she said.
“The other coaches need to be able to hear that from him as well and how to push me when they need to. I’m hoping that it’s a smooth transition.”
Vanderpool is eager to do his part to make sure that happens and will be sharing in the excitement — from Waterloo Region — when it begins.
“I’m sure I’ll be feeling the nerves like she will be because she hasn’t been in the ring for a while,” he said. “But, like I said to her, after that first round it’s going to feel like she’s back at home.”