Photo: Vincent Ethier – If she wins her next fight, Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse will not only have her hand raised, but also a world championship belt around her waist.
Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse (6-1, 2 KOs) will return to the world championship stage on March 7th. It will be at the Montreal Casino, facing Abril Vidal (10-1, 4 KOs), that the Québécoise will attempt to “close the loop” by winning the illustrious WBC title, the green belt that had eluded her seven years prior.
“When I found out, listen, I experienced a range of emotions: jumping for joy, tears in my eyes, and trembling hands,” shares the pride of Saint-André-Avellin, who had the heavy task of keeping the secret for nearly a week, until the duel scheduled for 10 rounds, at 175 pounds, was officially announced.
“I knew it was the next step, but the WBC is even more significant for me, considering everything I’ve been through. Suddenly, I saw all the trials I’ve faced, but also all the sacrifices made since 2017, and I just thought, ‘hey, I finally have a second chance.'”
An Extraordinary Story
At first glance, the Québécoise’s story seems like the oldest cliché in sports. That of the athlete who fell, never gave up, and rose again. However, upon closer inspection, good luck finding a comparison.
In 2017, in her first WBC rodeo, she suffered a tough defeat against the controversial Alejandra Jimenez. From then on, it seemed like everything went wrong: a concussion, a car accident, depression, and weight gain. But after the rain comes sunshine: a new friend, a new partner, the fire reignited, boxing returning, first in the gym, then in the ring, on March 23, 2023. This story has already been told; we refer you to Punching Grace’s documentary “Vany”, by Julie Bertrand, which recounts five years of ups and downs in 20 minutes. Preaching to the choir, we tell you “#MustWatch,” to quote Camille Estephan’s old promo adage.
But anyway, this narrative belongs to history, the one of this text in the future, so let’s rely on the crystal ball of the Outaouais athlete to predict it for us: “on March 7th, there’s no way the belt leaves Quebec, I’ll have it, guaranteed!”
Better Equipped Than Ever
The representative of the BG Boxing Club in Buckingham has surrounded herself with a team worthy of her promises. At the top of the list: her longtime coach, Stéphane Joanisse, with whom she shares a name but no familial bond, yet still considers him a “second dad.”
Please add one of the most recent additions to the “Team Vany” ranks, her physical trainer, Kristof Robert, thanks to whom she plans to easily meet the 175-pound limit, her strictest ever in her career. Another unexplored territory: the north border of the 6th round, but with her countless hours of sparring with Mary Spencer and Marie-Pier Houle, nobody worries about going to 10, quite the opposite.
“I’m the kind of girl whose pace increases with each round. In fact, often I shock myself thinking that with one more round, I could have stopped my opponent,” says the one who plans to impose her rhythm against Abril, the South American champion who will also be at her second chance at the world level. She who lost in a highly competitive fight against Hanna Gabriels in 2019.
“People will get their money’s worth. The plan is to put pressure and tire her out until the train hits her,” states the Québécoise bluntly.
The Winning Road?
It’s crazy, really. In the ring, to be literally a combat locomotive, and outside, to be someone my sister would probably describe as “SO sweet.” Yet, nothing represents Vanessa Lepage-Joanisse better, a world aspirant and an early childhood center educator. She dreams of both a champion’s life and a family life, ready to drive three hours each day, from Mont-Laurier to Buckingham, to make it happen.
“It’s not like we’re just two and we can just move like that either, there’s also a little one in the equation, so for me, it’s really okay, it’s part of my dream and the life I want,” testifies the smiling pugilist, referring to her partner and young son, who welcomed her with open arms in the Laurentians, when even her sport seemed to turn its back on her.
And really, this journey seems to be a rather worthwhile investment. In the gym, the results are there, and outside, her partner and “little one” offer her unconditional support. With these two elements combined and connected by Highway 309, a much larger path opens up for “Vany,” the one towards the top, a destination she’ll finally aim to reach on the evening of March 7th.
