13-year-old Kanien’kehá:ka boxer trains with her grandfather, aiming for Olympics – CBC

Sep 12, 2023

Beth Harris-Smoke won every match at her 1st tournament this summer

Beth Harris-Smoke, 13, has almost 3,000 hours of boxing training under her belt and recently won a national boxing championship.

She said her drive is to be “stronger.”

“I don’t want to be like those people who just do nothing all day,” said Smoke.

Her grandfather Billy Logan and her former trainer Anthony Lenk describe her as compassionate, not someone for whom throwing punches comes naturally but who still has great instincts for combat sports.

Harris-Smoke is Kanien’kehá:ka (Wolf Clan) from Six Nations of the Grand River, near Brantford, Ont., but now lives in Sanborn, N.Y., close to the Niagara Falls border.

Harris-Smoke and her younger sister Brooklynn have been raised by their grandparents since they were toddlers. Logan also doubles as her coach.

Read More: https://www.cbc.ca/news/indigenous/beth-harris-smoke-boxing-1.6961235