Wayne Bourque
Encyclopedia
Wayne Bourque has been the North American Native boxing champ three times in the welterweight
and middleweight
classes. He was born in 1959 to Métis
parents in Fort McMurray, Alberta
, Canada
. He is the cousin of Calgary Flames
ice hockey
forward René Bourque
, and he has trained several NHL hockey players.
http://fan590.com/onair/barb-wired/media.jsp?content=20081002_135214_15428
To protect himself from racist attacks, he learned to box
. He won his first tournament, the Northwest Pacific Gold Gloves, at the age of 13 in Seattle.
Instead of turning professional, Bourque retired from amateur boxing
in 1985 and became a fitness
trainer. He currently heads a boxercise centre ("Centre Ring") and a summer camp in Toronto
, Canada
where participants use boxing exercises to get fit without the physical contact of boxing matches. His clients have included Russell Crowe
, whom he worked with in the movie Cinderella Man
(2005).
Welterweight
Welterweight is a weight class division in combat sports. Originally the term "welterweight" was used only in boxing, but other combat sports like kickboxing, taekwondo and mixed martial arts also began to use it for their own weight division system...
and middleweight
Middleweight
Middleweight is a division, or weight class, in boxing. Early boxing history is less than exact, but the middleweight designation seems to have begun in the 1840s. In the bare-knuckle era, the first middleweight championship fight was between Tom Chandler and Dooney Harris in 1897...
classes. He was born in 1959 to Métis
Métis people (Canada)
The Métis are one of the Aboriginal peoples in Canada who trace their descent to mixed First Nations parentage. The term was historically a catch-all describing the offspring of any such union, but within generations the culture syncretised into what is today a distinct aboriginal group, with...
parents in Fort McMurray, Alberta
Alberta
Alberta is a province of Canada. It had an estimated population of 3.7 million in 2010 making it the most populous of Canada's three prairie provinces...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
. He is the cousin of Calgary Flames
Calgary Flames
The Calgary Flames are a professional ice hockey team based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The club is the third major-professional ice hockey team to represent the city of Calgary, following the...
ice hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
forward René Bourque
Rene Bourque
René Gary Wayne Bourque is a Canadian professional ice hockey left winger who currently plays for the Calgary Flames of the National Hockey League . An undrafted player, Bourque was signed by the Chicago Blackhawks as a free agent in 2004 and made his NHL debut in 2005–06...
, and he has trained several NHL hockey players.
http://fan590.com/onair/barb-wired/media.jsp?content=20081002_135214_15428
To protect himself from racist attacks, he learned to box
Boxing
Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...
. He won his first tournament, the Northwest Pacific Gold Gloves, at the age of 13 in Seattle.
Instead of turning professional, Bourque retired from amateur boxing
Amateur boxing
Amateur boxing is practised at the collegiate level, at the Olympic Games and Commonwealth Games, and in many other venues sponsored by amateur boxing associations. Amateur boxing bouts are short in duration and fighters wear head protection, so this type of competition prizes point-scoring rather...
in 1985 and became a fitness
Physical fitness
Physical fitness comprises two related concepts: general fitness , and specific fitness...
trainer. He currently heads a boxercise centre ("Centre Ring") and a summer camp in Toronto
Toronto
Toronto is the provincial capital of Ontario and the largest city in Canada. It is located in Southern Ontario on the northwestern shore of Lake Ontario. A relatively modern city, Toronto's history dates back to the late-18th century, when its land was first purchased by the British monarchy from...
, Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
where participants use boxing exercises to get fit without the physical contact of boxing matches. His clients have included Russell Crowe
Russell Crowe
Russell Ira Crowe is a New Zealander Australian actor , film producer and musician. He came to international attention for his role as Roman General Maximus Decimus Meridius in the 2000 historical epic film Gladiator, directed by Ridley Scott, for which he won an Academy Award for Best Actor, a...
, whom he worked with in the movie Cinderella Man
Cinderella Man
Cinderella Man is a 2005 American drama film by Ron Howard, titled after the nickname of heavyweight boxing champion James J. Braddock and inspired by his life story. The film was produced by Howard, Penny Marshall, and Brian Grazer.-Plot:James J...
(2005).