A sore shoulder forced Coquitlam fighter Connor Hollingshead to settle for silver at the Canadian Amateur Boxing Championships in Quebec City last week.
The young athlete fought his way through some of the best in the country, winning the first in a unanimous decision, where he suffered the injury.
Going into the second fight of the weekend, this time against an Ontario opponent, the nagging pain made it difficult for Hollingshead to find the momentum.
“It didn’t feel 100%, but I knew I could still compete,” he said.
Despite the pain, Hollingshead earned a split decision in the second match, setting the stage for a gold-medal finals against another Ontario fighter that took silver at last year’s nationals.
“I went in the ring and gave it everything I had,” he said. “But I ultimately lost the decision and came in second.”
Still, Hollingshead said he was pleased with the result. The 14-year-old Terry Fox secondary student was the youngest in the 154 lb. weight class in a competition that saw 236 competitors from across the country compete.
“I am proud to leave Quebec with the silver medal,” he said. “I am happy with my overall performance. I trained very hard for the last 12 weeks to prepare for nationals.”
Hollingshead will now turn his attention to an event in Alberta, where he will compete in May for the Diamond Belt Championship.
