Thirteen year-old Alyssa-Lende Kane of Kapolei, Hawaii captured the 2007 Ringside World Boxing Championship in the girls intermediate 114-pound weight division. The annual Ringside tournament was held in Kansas City, Missouri, during the week of July 31 – August 4. The world’s largest amateur boxing event, with over 1,000 amateur boxers and 500 plus coaches/trainers from all over the world included international competitors from Canada, France and Ireland.

Kane experienced her victory after she stopped the defending, World Champion, Shelby “The Lionheart” Bialkowski of Canada, midway through the first round.

“I came out firing, and she (Bialkowski) got frustrated,” said Kane, “I noticed her hands were up high and her body was open.”

This is when Kane seized the opportunity and made the best of it. “I went one, two and dig-ed my three to her body (uppercut to the midsection). It was soft (the punching attempt), so I told myself, next time, I’m going to really rip it.”

The bout lasted less than a minute. The referee stopped the contest when Bialkowski was hunched up against the ropes in pain, unable to recover and compete.

“I‘m still trying to take it all in, it’s hard to believe I won my belt by stopping her in the first round,” Kane said. “All my training and dieting was all worth it, I feel good.”

Kane is also Hawaii’s 2007 Junior Olympic Champion in the 13-14 girl’s 114 pound weight division.

The Myron B. Thompson Academy eighth grader maintains a strict diet and workout regimen. Training in Kalihi at the Kalakaua gym for Bruce Kawano’s, Kawano Boxing Club, Kane catches the bus from Kapolei to Kalihi three times a week. Kane also trains at Waipahu Boxing Club, Palolo Boxing Club and Ewa’s 5-0 Boxing Club. Kane credits her success in the ring to all her coaches and sparring partners who take the time every week to help her improve.

Alyssa-Lende lives in Malu’ohai Hawaiian homestead, with her parents David and Aloha, her siblings, Anolani (10), Kawika (8), Anuhea (5) and Hokule’a (the Kane’s Maltese-shih tzu pup). Member of the LDS church, Kapolei ward and Hula Halau Kaululaua’e. Alyssa-Lende enjoys playing volleyball, attending church activities, potlucks with the neighbors, and most of all, talking story with family and friends.

Background: The largest amateur boxing tournament in the world with over 1,000 boxers competing and over 500 coaches/trainers participating. Held in Kansas City, MO from July 31 – August 1, 2007. Single elimination tournament, boxers can only box once per day. Boxer must weigh-in at registration and every morning prior to boxing that day. Boxers must be a member of their country’s boxing authority. Mandatory equipment such as approved headgear, form-fitted mouthpiece, cup/groin protector and hand wraps must be worn during competition.

Ringside World Championship Interview
Questions & Answers 

How does it feel to be a world champion?  I feel good. To hold the title of world champion is really cool.   I feel real happy that I won.   The happiest feeling in the world.  I also feel thankful to challenge someone from another country.  To have the ref to give me that belt it makes me really happy.  It’s hard to describe the feeling, it’s the happiest feeling.  Better than ice cream and lasagna.

What does it take to become a world champion?  It takes a lot of dedication and heart.  Dedication means something you really, really want and you’re willing to take the steps to become world champion.  The steps to become a world champion is Work hard in your training and wanting it more than anything else.  It also means you’re willing to be different, different from others, not like anyone else.  Champions shouldn’t eat junk.  You can’t be eating junk.  You need to eat clean.  You also need to be different in everything you do, including family, school and friends.  Champions set the example.  Take this example, if a bunch of kids are smoking and you know it wrong to be smoking you shouldn’t follow the crowd.  It’s okay to be different and make the right choices in life.  Champions should respect their family and parents always.  Champions should include siblings in their life.  A lot of teens don’t spend enough time with their siblings.  They rather spend it with friends.  I like to spend time with my brother and sisters.  Having heart is also important.  Heart means never giving up.  When I do sprints or go for a long run and I feel like giving up because my body is so tired.  I visualize why I’m putting my body in so much pain and dig deep so I don’t give up.  That’s what it means to have heart.

How have you prepared yourself to become world champion?  I prepare myself both mentally and physically.  Mentally I tell myself I can do it, like I said, if I’m dead tired and my body feels like giving up, I push my mind to keep going and my body follows.  Physically I prepare by running and watching my eating habits.  I workout 5-6 days a week.  I always keep busy.  I do sprints and run 2 miles in the morning.  My sprint workout I do on the track field near my house.  I sprint around the track for 1:30 and rest a minute.  I do this three times.  This prepares me for my boxing bouts.  My boxing bouts are 3 rounds of 1:30 each.  I have a one-minute rest between rounds.  I run 2 miles every morning to keep me conditioned.  One of the main reasons why boxers loose their bouts is because they’re not conditioned.  I training boxing M-F.  I start by stretching out, shadow boxing and work the heavy back.  Depending on the day I may spar and my coach will hold the mitts for me.  I finish up with jump roping, sit-ups and push-ups.  I will start learning the speed bag and double end bag. 

How did you get started in boxing?  When watching “Million Dollar Baby” starring Hillary Swank I really liked the movie and thought it would be cool to try boxing out.  Our close family friend was boxing and trained in Waipahu so we went to check it out.  We met coach Al “Quick” Silva and Coach Armando Blue.  They have a sign in Waipahu about the making of a champion.  The most important line on the sign was heart.  I learned on the first day that having heart was most important.  I started training at Waipahu and after 3 months Coach Armando asked me to spar.  I asked my parents and they said it was okay and I got my physical.  I sparred an 18-year girl for one round and she hit me with a mean body shot and I went down.  My Dad asked me if I still wanted to spar and I told him yes, he was surprised.  I still wanted to do better and improve.   Few months later I entered a sparring session in Waimanalo and experienced facing another opponent from another club.  I enjoyed it and I had my first amateur boxing match scheduled shortly on the island of Maui.  I lost my first bout to a very good boxer.  I learned so much from that lost and I wanted to improve more.  7 days later after my first lost I boxed again and had my first win.  So in a matter of two weeks I had my first two bouts and experienced a win and lost.   

What do you like most about boxing?  The feeling of being in the ring.  I like the feeling of shadow boxing.  My boxing club and coaches are one big ohana.  It’s a wonderful sport to be in.  Boxing keeps me in good physical shape. 

What motivates you to be successful in boxing?  Visualizing and knowing that I can make it to the Olympics.  My goal is to make it to the Olympics.

Do you mind catching the bus to practice?  That’s the only way I can get there.  My parents have a hard time driving to Kalihi with my 3 other siblings.  My brother and sisters are also involved with sports and activities.  It’s hard for my parents to drive us all around.  I don’t mind catching the bus, because I am dedicated, if I need to catch the bus to practice.  I’ll catch the bus. 

Where do you give credit for your boxing success?  All my coaches, all my sparring partners and to my dad for helping me.  My family and everyone who supports me in this sport. 

What do you like to do in your free time?  I like to spend time with my family.  We have a Maltese shih tzu pup named Hokule’a and I like to play with her and take her for walks.  My dad and I like to have long conversations.  We talk about boxing, school, being successful in life and just about anything.  I like to hang out with our neighbors for BBQ’s and potlucks.  For fun I like boxing.  I enjoy hanging out with my cousins and talking story.  I also enjoy checking my myspace.  Going to the movies is really fun too.   

Do you participate in other sports and activities?  I participate in my church young women activities.  Our boxing club did a beach clean up in Ewa and I volunteered for that.  I help out with our Hawaiian Homestead Association.  I attend Malu’ohai association community meetings and participate with helping our community.  Malu’ohai association helps our community with promoting the Hawaiian culture and making the community a better place.  I deliver the newsletters to all the homes along with my siblings.  I also do volunteer work for the office of Hawaiian affairs.  I help out with different projects, and do a lot of filing.  I like to give back to my Hawaiian people.  I play volleyball for pacific volley academy here in Kapolei.  I am also a member of hula halau kaululaua’e.   

How do you like being home schooled?  This will be my third year.  I like it because it gives me a lot of free time.  It also let’s me spend more time with family.  I don’t miss out on my friends because I am so active and I have a busy schedule.  I meet more than enough friends in my neighborhood, church, boxing, volleyball, hula and my community service/volunteer work.

 

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