This teen took to boxing to get in shape. She's now on Team Canada

Windsor teen boxer Jarelyn Castillo stays light on her feet as she shadowboxes in the ring at Border City Boxing Club on Drouillard Road.

Her fists stab the air, punctuated by yelping exhalations.

"Jarelyn the Jolly Rancher," remarks her coach, Andre Gorges. He wants to change her nickname from "The Gem" to a reference to candy. "What's your favourite colour?"

"Probably green or red," Castillo replies, without missing a beat or a breath.

Just three years ago, such demonstrations of speed and stamina weren't easy for Castillo. The 17-year-old athlete says her weight ballooned during COVID lockdowns.

"My physical health took a very large decline. I was weighing, like, 250 some odd pounds," she recalls.

When Castillo emerged from the era of social distancing, she turned to boxing — a family tradition — to shed the weight.

As a young child, she would accompany her older brother to his workouts at Border City Boxing Club. Her uncle was heavily involved in the sport in the Dominican Republic, where her parents emigrated from.

"Basically, boxing's been in my family since, like, forever," Castillo says. "I just love it. I can't put it into words... I feel like boxing has helped me with a lot of things, not only physically."

Along with helping Castillo drop almost 100 pounds on the scale, the activity has ignited her competitive fire. Over the past two years, she has fought in multiple amateur tournaments in the 75-kilogram female youth division.

Castillo earned her biggest win yet in March — First place in her division at the Youth National Championships at the 2024 Canada Cup in Calgary.

The victory landed Castillo a spot on Team Canada. What made it especially significant for her was that she fought against an opponent who had