cinqque5tion with Jennifer Huggins (by: Jovin Tardif)

Today my guest is Jennifer Huggins. As I am sitting in the dressing room in my blue attire and red gloves on, I look over at Coach and asked: “Do you think I am ready?” He smirks. I stand up and my theme song hits [Smash Mouth – Why Can’t We Be Friends] as I make my way to the ring. You hear the roar of the crowd in the background. I wipe my feet before entering the ring. I glanced over to the ref and nodded. The announcer speaks and says: “and in the blue (he pauses) I present to you, weighing at…” I cleared my throat to signal the announcer. He continues to speak: “a modest weight for his age….. Mr…..” The announcer is interrupted by another song playing in the background [LL Cool J – Mama Said Knock You Out]. I gulped as my opponent dressed in red arrived on the scene. The referee informs us of the rules and regulations of the fight. (pause) Well, at least that’s what I remember. Boom! (lights) 10, 9, 8, 7 …. Back in the dressing room, I open my eyes with Coach standing over the gurney. I asked: “so…how did I do Coach?” Coach shakes his head in disappointment. Today on #whatonwhatsgood this #cinqque5tion actually packs a punch and a little bit of mystery. I present to you, Jennifer Huggins. Jennifer Huggins owns and operates Kingsway Boxing Club in Toronto, Canada. She is a 3-Star International Boxing Referee and Judge with the AIBA International Boxing Association. In addition, Jennifer is also the Founder and CEO of the Fight To End Cancer and President of Boxing Ontario. But wait, there’s more. Fun fact, she travels the world performing with a World Class Magician. Cool eh? This is going to be so much fun. It is very nice to meet you, Jennifer. Thank you for taking the time to do this interview.

1. Can you tell us more about Kingsway Boxing Club in Toronto, Canada? What do you offer?

In 2005, after running my boxing programs across the province through various fitness facilities, I finally decided to start my own club. It wasn’t much when I first opened, I didn’t even plan on having classes. My ‘gym’ was just an apartment on the second floor of a beauty and hair salon. Within a couple of months, I had run out of space, and was running full classes for kids, teens and adults! To my surprise, people LOVED boxing!

Today, Kingsway Boxing Club operates out of two locations in the West End of Toronto. We offer programs for everyone of every age, experience and fitness level.

I feel honoured to share a sport with the community that has given so much, to so many!

2. For those who may be new to boxing, how would you define 1-star, 2-star, 3-star referees?

International officials are classified by levels that determine where they will be assigned to work. 1-Star Officials can referee and judge Dual Matches between countries, 2-Stars will be allowed to referee Continental Tournaments and 3-Stars are able to work world championships and Olympic level.

Jennifer Huggins owns and operates Kingsway Boxing Club in Toronto, Canada. As an Olympic Boxing Referee with AIBA International Boxing Association, she works the sport from the inside out. In addition to being a Canadian National Coach at her gym, Jennifer is the Founder and Executive Director of the Fight To End Cancer. She is heavily involved in the community, however still manages to find the time to travel the world performing with a World Class Magician. Jennifer's business and personal motto is that "Variety is the Spice of Life!" She may box in the ring, but she most definitely does not live inside of the box... unless of course she's getting cut in half! — Jennifer Huggins World Championships – St. Petersburg, Russia

*Bonus Question: How do you become a 3-Star International Boxing Referee?
Just like any other achievement, you need to work hard, be devoted and stay educated in your field. Once you become a national level official in your country, it’s possible you will be recommended to the next level. It’s important to be heavily involved with local and national competitions to stay current and visible to your organization. Hard Work Pays Off!

3. What are the typical duties and responsibilities of a judge at the international level? What do you look for in a match?

Officials are working with the best of the best in the sport. Athletes have devoted their entire lives to the three rounds they will spend in front of you. Judges must focus and apply the scoring criteria correctly and fairly. Referees must make important decisions within a split second at times. As an official in the sport of boxing, focus is everything. Judges protect the career of the boxer. Referees protect the lives of the boxer.

4. You are the founder and CEO of the Fight To End Cancer. How can we help?

The Fight To End Cancer is everyone’s fight! Cancer does not discriminate, it travels to every country and can affect us at any age. Whether you’re willing to step into the ring and literally knock out the disease, or if your company is interested in creating a campaign to raise awareness, we NEED you! Visit fighttoendcancer.com to see how you can join the Fight To End Cancer!

“Variety is the Spice of Life!” She may box in the ring, but she most definitely does not live inside of the box… unless of course she’s getting cut in half! Jennifer Huggins owns and operates Kingsway Boxing Club in Toronto, Canada. As a 3-Star International Boxing Referee and Judge with AIBA International Boxing Association, she understands the sport from the inside out. In addition to coaching at her gym, Jennifer is the Founder and CEO of the Fight To End Cancer and President of Boxing Ontario. She is heavily involved in the community, however still manages to find the time to travel the world performing with a World Class Magician. “Maintaining a clear perspective and honouring fairness is always key. As a boxing official, I play the role of both referee and judge. I pride myself on being fair in and outside of the ring.” — Jennifer Huggins – Photo Credit: Rebecca Freeman

5. You travel the world performing with a World Class Magician. Any fun stories?

As the saying goes… I can’t give away any of my secrets!

Travelling with Richard Forget has been a dream come true! Just don’t tell him I said that. Since I was 20 years old, I’ve had the honour of performing on some of the grandest stages around the world. However, the true magic comes from the moments we’ve shared behind the scenes, off stage.

One of my favourite stories comes from when we were in Cairo, performing for the President of Egypt. We only had one day to explore, and since this was our second time visiting and we’d already done the pyramids, we decided we would find our way downtown to hang out with friends.

Jennifer Huggins owns and operates Kingsway Boxing Club in Toronto, Canada. As an Olympic Level Boxing Referee with AIBA International Boxing Association, she works the sport from the inside out. In addition to being a Canadian National Coach at her gym, Jennifer is the Founder and Executive Director of the Fight To End Cancer. She is heavily involved in the community, however still manages to find the time to travel the world performing with a World Class Magician. — Jennifer Huggins

Did you know even know that Egypt had Ubers? They also have 10 lanes of traffic in each direction with no painted lines, and their speed limit is only determined by the abilities of the vehicle.

Long story short, we found ourselves reversing on a 20 lane highway (at least we were on the shoulder), with 10 diagonal lanes of oncoming traffic. I forgot to mention, exits are approximately 100 kilometres apart on Egyptian highways, so it totally makes sense that our Uber driver made the back travel of only 2 kilometres with oncoming traffic.

The magical moment came when Richard, looked at me and said: “We’re going to die!”

JENNIFER HUGGINS is a multi-dimensional, bundle of energy who has big dreams and several diverging career interests! She is an entrepreneur, a boxing coach, an international referee, a magician’s assistant and the force behind Fight To End Cancer (FTEC)! Jennifer began following her dreams at a young age when she devoted nearly the first half of her life to the sport of competitive figure skating. She met with an unfortunate accident that cut her skating career short, and during rehabilitation, Jennifer turned to the sport of boxing as both a strengthening activity and therapeutic tool. Her passion flame grew from there and in 2006 she opened the very successful, Kingsway Boxing Club. Her entrepreneurial spirit and success allowed Jennifer the rare opportunity to impact two of her greatest loves; the sport of boxing and community service. Jennifer traveled the world over the past decade, performing on some of the grandest stages, as an assistant to a professional magician – this on top of all of her business commitments! Fight To End Cancer was conceived in 2011 through her love of boxing, business and entertainment. She oversees the day-to-day management of FTEC as the Executive Director and along with her executive planning team, is on a mission to make it one of the top fundraisers, both locally and abroad. (article continues below photo) Jennifer was awarded the 2016 Ron Whalley Memorial Award for Official of the year by Boxing Canada. She honoured to share the stage with Canada's Female Boxer Of The Year Mandy Bujold and Male Boxer Of The Year Arthur Borz Biyarslanov and the inspiring Yvon Michel, who have helped pave the way for Future Of Boxing! Jennifer was awarded the 2017 Ron Whalley Memorial Award for Official of the year by Boxing Canada. She honoured to share the stage with Canada’s Female Boxer Of The Year Mandy Bujold and Male Boxer Of The Year Arthur Borz Biyarslanov and the inspiring Yvon Michel, who have helped pave the way for Future Of Boxing! Recently awarded the 2020 Women In Sport Achievement Award by The International Olympic Committee, Jennifer now divides her time between her role with FTEC, running the Kingsway Boxing Club and travelling the world as both a Referee for Olympic Boxing at the international level and as a performer. The fact that she accomplishes so much truly is magic! Giving back to the community that has supported her businesses and personal growth has become integral to her life. Jennifer’s personal and business motto is that Variety Is The Spice Of Life. In her words “I love boxing in the ring and living outside of the box, unless I’m put there by my magician”. — Jennifer Huggins

It was in that moment that I realized that I had lived nothing short of a great life, NOT that I was ready to die… But hey, I’ve seen the world, I’ve dedicated my life to giving back to the sport and community that I love, and I know we’ve made people smile every time we’ve been on stage together.

I looked back at him and said: “We’re never taking Uber in Egypt again!”

Some would call that a scary moment… I call it magical.

Jennifer Huggins I am commonly asked why I choose to “fight” cancer. The truth is, there are so many causes out there that need to be supported and one day I hope to fight for all of them. I fight cancer as these diseases continue to attack those who mean the world to me – my community. The Fight To End Cancer started as an outlet through which I could bring together all of my passions: boxing, business and entertainment. Developing this unique fundraising event allowed me the ability to try to fulfill my dream of building a stronger, healthier community. I believe that fighting is in our DNA. It is a skill we develop when dealing with adverse situations. Sometimes, we choose to fight and other times we are forced to. The battle, which one faces with cancer, is much like a boxing match; only the decision to step into the ring was made for them along with their opponent. The team that stands behind a boxer can make, or break their fight. It is no different for someone who is faced with the reality of having to fight cancer – the team behind them can make all the difference. Cancer does not discriminate. We have all watched, painfully, as it attacks friends and family, both young and old. It tests the limits of, not only the victim, but also of their loved ones. Maintaining the physical strength it takes to go to battle with cancer is something that can take virtually everything out of an individual. However, the burning flame to fight and to win must never be extinguished – those who can fight – must. An extraordinary example of how people can make a difference in the outcome of a fight are the people who work at the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation. They have become a beacon of hope in our community and they work to help those who need it the most. Their mission is to “Conquer Cancer In Our Lifetime”. Given this monumental task, they not only give hope, they help produce concrete results. The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation is a team leader in the community who deeply believes in what they do and work tirelessly to accomplish their goals. Teaming with the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation has been a dream come true and has inspired me to never fear big challenges. I love to fight, I love people and through the Fight To End Cancer, I have found a purpose. It has been nearly a decade since the conception of Fight To End Cancer and a team who once consisted of friends and family, now has become an international community and a force to be reckoned with. Fighting together is a metaphor through which we will continue to show our support for those who need it most. Defeat Is NOT An Option! — Jennifer Huggins

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#whatonwhatsgood presents #cinqque5tion interview with Jennifer Huggins by: @jovintardif Founder of @whatonwhatsgood 🥊🥊…🎩🐇…🧢👍 #reveilletogether #magic #olympics2020 #referee #ontario #boxingtraining #ftec2020 #ftecstory #boxingontario #tokyo2020 #boxingontario #tbt #coach #referee #kingsway Link in bio https://whatonwhatsgood.com/2020/01/16/cinqque5tion-with-jennifer-huggins/ #teamcanadaclub

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by: Jovin Tardif

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Jovin Tardif
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What On What’s Good is spreading positivity in the sports, entertainment and other industries #whatonwhatsgood creates reviews, interviews (#cinqque5tion), suggestions & discussions to engage individuals in order to have a fun experience together.

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cinqque5tion with Jennifer Huggins (by: Jovin Tardif)