Almost four years after getting into sparring, Kaylee Dillabough is loving her decision to pursue boxing.
Selkirk-born Kaylee Dillabough competed in the eighth bout of her amateur boxing career during Eastman Boxing Club’s June 13 card in St. Andrews. The 29-year-old returned to combat sports three years ago after stepping away for more than a decade
She grew up in Selkirk watching boxing and other combat sports with her father, which led to her briefly trying kickboxing.
Combat sports were then put on the back burner during her teenage years and into her 20s. She said she was self-conscious about participating in a combat sport and found herself being overly critical.
When she was 26, the passing of her father brought a sudden change to her everyday life.
She strapped on the gloves for the first time in years, hoping to find a way to cope with her emotions.
Despite moving to Winnipeg, she decided to give Eastman Boxing Club in Beausejour a try, where she connected with coaches Kirk Fleming and Sidney Meisner.
The two helped her begin her boxing career, which led to her first amateur bouts.
Since then, she has reached the eight-fight mark of her boxing career, most recently competing at Eastman Boxing Club’s June 13 card in St. Andrews.
“When I was younger, it was kind of like mine and my dad’s thing, watching it on TV, all the combat sports,” said Dillabough. “I tried kickboxing when I was younger, I was probably 12 or something around that age, and I ended up quitting because I just was self-conscious, like teenager, and just thinking that everything you take so critically. I quit because I was just so hard on myself and then I came back to it when I was 26. My dad passed away when I was 26, and so shortly after that, to cope with dealing with all those emotions I came back to working out and boxing specifically was such just a super good stress relief. I ended up falling in love with it again and getting past that awkward stage. It took me a while, and then here we are. They were asking me if I wanted to spar, and then as soon as I started sparring, it was a domino effect since then.”
The now 29-year-old turned that experience into one of the most action-packed fights of the night in St. Andrews.
Although she lost to the more experienced Madi Lovaas of Barbot Boxing in Fargo, N.D., she said she was happy with how things played out.
“It was a good exchange,” said Dillabough. “I was honestly just happy to have the chance to get in the ring with her. She has I think 18 fights now, and that was my eighth fight, so I was just happy to even go up against someone who is that experienced. Even though I lost, I was still okay with it. Good experience, good lessons, and she was so nice afterwards too.”
Dillabough had both Fleming and Meisner supporting her through the fight and throughout her pre-fight training despite the demands of their own boxing and coaching careers.
Their influence has helped grow her love for the sport to the point where she now hopes to turn professional.
“Just because I’m getting older in the game, I want to show others that no matter how old you are, you can still follow your dreams,” said Dillabough.
