RMC Partner Profile – Lisa Langevin of Kelly Santini LLP
On October 13th, litigation lawyer Lisa Langevin of Kelly Santini LLP will be stepping into the boxing ring at the Heart & Crown Fight for the Cure gala fundraiser for the Ottawa Regional Cancer Foundation. The months leading up to the fight have been intense emotionally and physically. Here, Lisa shares what drives her, what its like getting punched in the face, her favourite Rocky movie and what it takes to be ready to face off in the ring in front of the Ottawa business community.
Why did you want to participate in Fight for the Cure?
I want to participate in Fight for the Cure because I believe it is a wonderful way to honor my father who passed away from cancer of the esophagus and stomach in 2009. He had a horrific death and to see him suffer the way he did was heart breaking and difficult for me to get over. I always knew I wanted to make a difference somehow in the fight against cancer, I just don’t think I was emotionally ready to do it before now. When this opportunity presented itself, I jumped at the chance because I thought it would bring me closure. My father loved boxing and I think he would be proud of what I have accomplished by learning to fight. I consider myself a relatively athletic person but I have never felt so non athletic in my life. Boxing is beyond difficult, mentally and physically. I like challenges though so I will just keep busting my butt until fight night on October 13th.
What is the training regime?
Training has been an emotional roller coaster. You feel great one training session and the next one, you feel defeated. We had training session twice a week over the spring and summer I also have been working out on my own running and lifting. Training picked up in September and we are now having three or four training sessions per week plus our own workouts.
Our trainer and the event organizer, Scott Whitteker works us to the. When your ponytail is stuck to your neck because of how much you sweat, it is a good indication you are working your body hard.
Training with the men has been pretty interesting. Daphne and I were a little naive. We assumed we would be training with women but no luck. We spar with the men and they hit hard. It can be very intimidating walking into a ring with a man but empowering at the same time.
What have the been the best & worst days since you started getting ready for the fight?
My best day happened a couple weeks ago when our trainer was finally able to find another female to spar with. I gave her a bloody lip and knocked out one of her contact lenses. We had to stop the fight. It was a confidence booster. Sparring with the men has paid off. The worst day was the same day. My trainer put me back in the ring and I had to spar with him. My confidence was gone in a heartbeat. It was pretty demoralizing.
You are the first female participants in Ottawa. Was that important to you?
I feel very privileged to be a competitor in the first female bout for Fight for the Cure in Ottawa. I attended the event last year for the first time and found it really exciting but I was surprised there was no female fight. I figured why not and volunteered myself. I had no idea what I was getting myself into. The time commitment is intense but I hope my little girls Cyana (9) and Carson (3) learn from my experience and understand that as women there is nothing they can not accomplish with hard work and dedication. They come to my training sessions often so they see how hard I am working and they get a kick out of it.
Has your perception of boxing changed in any way?
I always admired boxers because of their athleticism and agility but I never really understood the mechanics of the sport and how difficult it is. ESPN conducted some research back in 2004 and they evaluated 60 sports in a variety of areas including endurance, strength, power and agility. Not surprising, boxing was ranked #1. Scott sent me that article after I had a particularly rough training session. I was pretty down on myself and he said, listen it’s a tough sport. Given yourself a break, you are learning.
What’s it like getting punched in the face?
It tickles. Just kidding. It hurts. I have had numerous headaches over the past few months after training. The whole experience is extremely intimidating. Getting in the ring and sparring with big, strong and athletic men knowing that you likely will get punched in the face is scary but oddly you start to get used to it and you learn to defend yourself so you don’t get hit.
Who will be more nervous on fight night – you or your family members?
I think I will be the most nervous but my mom will be the most excited. I am planning to have my little girls as my entourage so I hope they calm my nerves and keep me grounded.
What’s your favorite boxing movie?
It’s funny you ask that question. My girls and I bought the box VHS set for all the Rocky movies at a Sally Ann Store near my cottage a few weeks ago as I thought it would be fun to watch as we have an old VHS. I think the first Rocky is my favorite. “’Adrian!”.
What is your fund raising goal?
My fundraising goal was $5000 and I am now over $10,000 in donations. I am going to keep pushing hard right to the end. There is still time to donate on my donation page so please do.