Landen Willimot is determined not only to continue his family’s boxing legacy but also to forge one of his own.
At just 13 years old, Willimot is already a provincial champion, having won a gold medal last week in the 60 kg category at the Golden Gloves Championship in Windsor. He boasts an impressive record of 17 wins and 3 losses.
“It feels really amazing because not a lot of people can get that high. So I was pretty proud of myself and accomplished that I could do it,” Willimot tells The Journal.
He started boxing at the age of two and had his first competition at six. Willimot explains that his feelings about boxing are akin to the joy a baby feels when receiving candy.
“If I'm mad, happy, sad—no matter what—I can at least hit a bag to get over it. I enjoy it,” he adds.
His parents, Aimee Willimot and Floyd Porter, are both accomplished boxers. His mother is a three-time Canadian national champion, while his father is a former provincial and Winter Games champion. Both coach him at the Kent Athletic Youth Organization (KAYO) clubhouse in Chatham.
“We come from five generations of boxers going back to the 1830s. My great-great-grandfather was a boxer as a slave in Texas in 1830, so just as some families have generations of hockey or baseball players, we have generations of boxers,” says Porter.
If you search "boxing baby" on YouTube, you’ll find a video of toddler Willimot showcasing his skills against the back of a chair.
“He's been hitting the bag since he could see,” Porter admits.
Now in Grade 8, this Lambton Kent District School Board student trains three days a week for about an hour after school. Porter couldn’t be prouder of his son, who is now seeking competitors beyond the province.
“Landen's beaten everybody in Ontario,” says Porter. “He had one loss to a kid here, but he also beat that kid once. So we might as well branch out to the States and Montreal to find him other bouts. We've got to keep him active. His confidence level is very high at the moment, so this is the time to act on that.”
As for what’s next, Willimot is inspired by professional boxer Gervonta "Tank" Davis but also has his own aspirations.
“I want to take it to maybe the Olympics or pro and maybe even the world title,” he admits. “I just keep training, training, training, and make my way higher step by step.”