Friday, 22nd February 2019
By Chris Welner
HipCheck Media
When Canada Games boxer Jerome Leroyer finishes a bout his mom greets him ringside and shines a flashlight in his eyes.
That’s because Valerie Leroyer is a ringside physician. Her son has been boxing for three years and she travels to every tournament. Taking on the ringside doctor role seemed like a perfect fit. But some matches are more stressful than others.
“I get a bit worried when he fights. It’s something very unusual for sure,” says Dr. Leroyer, a GP in Nanaimo, B.C. “But I trust him and I trust the coach and I can be there for him. He really works hard and he deserves it.”
After each bout, boxers are given a quick once over. Pupil dilation, nose, mouth, teeth, jaw, hands, ribs — they all get checked. Jerome got a special message after he lost his final bout this week.
Says Jerome, 16: “She tells me ‘good job’ after a fight, then she does her job.”
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