Dukes up: This boxing club is bringing Winnipeg's 2SLGBTQ+ community into the ring
Tanara McLean | CBC Radio | Posted: March 14, 2024 7:23 PM | Last Updated: March 14
Umbrella Boxing is a space for 2SLGBTQ+ Winnipeggers looking for a stress relieving workout
When Sarah Vinck saw an online ad for a Winnipeg, MB boxing class, she knew it was a perfect date idea.
"Boxing was something that I've wanted to do for a while. But anything to do with the gym often has a not safe vibe," said Vinck. "Toxic masculinity vibes and not very safe for the queer community."
Vinck and her partner, Jess Lukasiewicz, shed rivulets of sweat as they pummel one of the many punching bags hanging from the ceiling of the Pan Am boxing gym. Their fellow boxers are exhausted from the workout, but the energy in the room is high.
They're packed into the gym for the bi-weekly Umbrella Boxing class, created specifically for 2SLGBTQ+ people.
Coach Jesse Jordan bounces around the class, encouraging everyone to push through the burn as they muster whatever energy is left in their bodies during the fading seconds of a grueling workout interval.
"When people see me here [coaching], I'm loud, I'm shouting, I'm talking to everybody, I'm outgoing. But in my everyday life, I'm actually very introverted," said Jordan, creator of Umbrella Boxing.
Jordan turned to boxing several years ago to maintain their physical and mental health. Between daily life and sweating it out several times a week in the ring, Jordan came to the realization that they were non-binary. The gym was a positive experience for them, and they wanted to share the cathartic freedom of boxing with their community.
"I wasn't totally sure what my place was in the club as a non-binary person," said Jordan. "As far as I knew, I was the only one, and for a while I kind of kept it to myself. But then slowly, over time, I kind of shared that part of me with more people."
That freedom and willingness to open up and feel grounded in their identity is a shared experience for many of the people who come to Umbrella Boxing.
"I'm just starting my transition journey, so I've been very disconnected from my body pretty much my entire life," said Elizabeth.
"It's really good to be able to kind of get in my body more and connect to it in a way that is fun and affirming and with people in a community I'm comfortable with."
Building a strong community
The program first started in 2020 when Jordan invited friends and family to a class in their backyard. It eventually moved outside to the Manitoba legislature grounds, then morphed into a free online drop in class. Jordan was a long-time member of the Pan Am Boxing Club, and approached management about starting their own specific class in 2022.
"Instantly, I was obviously 100% on board," said Dylan Martin, manager of Pan Am Boxing Club.
"It's another opportunity for people to do this sport in a way that for them felt safe."
From the beginning the classes have been free. Attendees can give a donation when they're able to, but the overall accessibility of the program is important to Jordan.
"[A fee] is just another barrier keeping people out. I want to remove as many barriers as I can to get them through the door," they said, adding that all donations go toward purchasing hand wrap and boxing gloves for participants.
Sisters Robyn Grant and Yahlnaaw have been coming to Umbrella Boxing since fall 2023.
While Grant is an experienced national level fighter, Yahlnaaw was a beginner looking for a way to decompress from a hectic work schedule.
"[There's] stretching, there's punching, there's a release of anger, there's endorphins. All of those things that come together at once," said Yahlnaaw.
"And I have an amazing coach that's showing me how to do it in a really good way. I wouldn't be doing this if it wasn't a queer, safe and friendly space."
Jordan says interest in the program was immediate. Since the first online classes, the program has steadily grown to about 25 people each session, with separate online zoom classes and one-on-one personal and small group lessons as well.
Umbrella Boxing is part of Out There Winnipeg, a not-for-profit that facilitates competitive and recreational sporting clubs for the city's 2SLGBTQ+ community and allies.
Jordan isn't certain what the future holds for the club, but they believe focusing on community will continue to draw people to the program.
"For me, this is absolutely a home away from home and I think we are building a community where they can feel that sense, too," they said.
"As long as people keep coming, I'll still keep the program going. There's no reason not to."
- with files from Bridget Forbes