Photo by: Rebecca Freeman | 2018 Fighter, Heather MacDonald, spent the day with his teammates preparing for their June 2, 2018 Fight Night.
The First Rule Of Fight Camp… You Don’t Talk About Fight Camp!
BUT… we like to break barriers and redefine the rules because there’s so much to tell you!
The first week of 2018 was spent the usual way, for most of us: returning to work or school, and easing into the reality of a new year. For the #FTEC2018 Fight To End Cancer fight team, the dawn of the new year signalled a routine which was anything but usual, or gradual. As the new year’s bell chimed, these 10 fighters were initiated into an intense new regime of focus, training and dedication. They’ve just completed Fight Camp at Kingsway Boxing and the reality of this commitment is starting to set in!
Photo Credit: Rebecca Freeman | Our 10 FTEC2018 Fight Team joined Kingsway Boxing’s Exclusive Fight Camp where they spent the day refining their boxing skills in preparation for Fight Night!
Scroll Down To Meet The 2018 Fight Team
Help the #FTEC2018 Fight Team reach their goal of $1 million dollars before Fight Night! Explore the links below to get to know the individual team members better and support them in their Fight To End Cancer! Defeat Is NOT An Option
Sponsor A Fighter Tickets & Event Info
Media Contact:
Jennifer Huggins
Executive Director
Phone: +1.416.666.9314
Email address: jennifer@fighttoendcancer.com
Important Dates:
–> Official Media Day: Thurs. May 24, 2018 6pm – 8pm | Lavelle Rooftop Lounge Request Media Access
–> 2018 Charity Boxing Gala: Sat. June 2, 2017 5pm – 11 pm | Old Mill Toronto Request Media Access
Christina Vatsis vs. Heather MacDonald
Heather MacDonald endured the agony of watching her father endure a two-year battle with soft-tissue sarcoma, which ended with his untimely passing in 2009. Heather says her Dad fought harder than she knew was ‘humanly possible’. Now it’s Heather’s turn to mirror her father’s strength and determination, as she steps into the ring as a 2018 FTEC fighter.
Christina Vatsis is no stranger to loss, or to the transformative power of giving back. Christina lost her father to colon cancer in 2009, and witnessed her aunt’s intensive and debilitating treatments for breast cancer. As a prolific volunteer, Christina has previously donated her time to an orphanage in Africa and raised funds for a number of important charitable causes. Now, as an FTEC 2018 fighter, Christina will be channeling her talent toward her goal of raising funds for critical cancer research that might have helped save her Dad. A veteran flight attendant, Christina prides herself on being courteous and polite. She plans to maintain her signature smile with every punch that she lands on fight night.
Matthew Seahra vs. Tyler Smith
Matthew Seahra joined FTEC 2018 to fight for those who cannot. Having recently lost his uncle to brain cancer, Matthew wants to carry on the spirit of generosity which his uncle so embodied. The self-proclaimed Beast Master of IT, looks forward to the grueling training required of an FTEC fighter, and has set a personal goal of raising $15,000 for cancer research.
Tyler Smith comes from a family of fighters. His grandfather dedicated his life to protecting others as a firefighter, and Tyler’s uncle is currently fighting an ongoing battle with cancer. Tyler decided it was his turn to support all those in need, by pledging to be a 2018 FTEC Fighter. Tyler’s vision as a fighter is reflected in his own poignant call to arms: “Why are we all here if we can’t support and fight for each others’ right to have better lives?”
Gavin Grant vs. Rick Dhillon
As a senior engineer specializing in high-tech environmental remediation, Gavin Grant is acutely aware of the power of research and technology. He has watched and supported the Fight to End Cancer for several years, so Gavin decided to join the FTEC 2018 team with the ambitious goal of personally raising $30,000 for critical cancer research. In Gavin’s own words: It’s time to do the real work of helping to stop this disease.
Rick Dhillon is done with standing by and watching the havoc that cancer can bring. In 2010, he witnessed his brother lose his speech, mobility and functioning, as the result of a brain tumor. Rick remembers feeling “utterly helpless” as he watched his brother’s suffering and passing. All he wanted to do then was to find a way to help – and now he has found it. Powerless no more, Rick is jumping into the ring as a 2018 FTEC fighter, to personally punch cancer in the face.
Alison Turnbull vs. Dawn Millar
Every day Dawn Millar finds her motivation to train for FTEC 2018 in the eyes of her children. Dawn’s father passed away due to cancer at the age of 51, just months before the birth of Dawn’s first child, who was his first grandchild. Dawn felt like her life had ‘blown apart’ when she lost her Dad, but as an FTEC fighter she wants to prove that Defeat is Not an Option.
Like many of us, Alison Turnbull has been directly touched by cancer, losing her mother to the disease in 2016. A veteran attendee of the annual Fight To End Cancer gala, Alison says she was motivated to become a fighter when she witnessed the level of commitment to training she saw in the FTEC team. As the most recent member in a long line of fighters coming from Eagle Professional Resources, Alison was surprised to learn that scoring the W on fight night will be included on this year’s performance review.
Sean Lawler vs. Rob Paniccia
Robert Paniccia knows he is among the fortunate ones whose health has not yet been directly affected by cancer. As a close supporter of previous FTEC fighters, Robert has enthusiastically joined the 2018 FTEC team to personally do his part to support the vital research of the doctors, chemists, and volunteers of The Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation.
Sean Lawler is a veteran lawyer who is used to courtroom battles, but as an FTEC 2018 fighter, he’s training for a far more personal fight. Sean has literally picked a fight with cancer, to honour his beloved mother who was swiftly and tragically taken by the disease in 2012. Sean’s goal is to raise $20,000 for cancer research, to offer hope for other families, so that they don’t have to go through what his did.
Media Contact:
Jennifer Huggins
Executive Director
Phone: +1.416.666.9314
Email address: jennifer@fighttoendcancer.com
Important Dates:
–> Official Media Day: Thurs. May 24, 2018 6pm – 8pm | Lavelle Rooftop Lounge Request Media Access
–> 2018 Charity Boxing Gala: Sat. June 2, 2017 5pm – 11 pm | Old Mill Toronto Request Media Access
