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She may have left some male sparring partners with broken noses, but Canadian pro boxer Kim Clavel spent most of her twenties balancing pugilism with shifts as a nurse on a maternity ward. Nursing was a side-gig, though, and in August 2019 she started to fight full-time, winning the North American Boxing Federation female light flyweight title in December.

The novel coronavirus outbreak happened just as Clavel’s boxing career was ascending. As she was training for her first-ever main event in Montreal, the match was cancelled owing to the pandemic. Her intense disappointment, however, did not blind her to the urgent needs of the population most vulnerable to the virus. Clavel readily threw herself back into nursing and spent the next three months working night shifts at elderly and retirement care centers. Owing to the shortage of nurses, she often worked overtime. In an interview, Clavel told the Montreal Gazette that providing care during the outbreak was “really hard psychologically. Those old people feel alone. They’re sad. Some of them don’t understand the (COVID-19) situation, so they don’t want to stay in their rooms… We have to play nurse and psychologist at the same time.”

At the June 21 ESPYS, Clavel will receive the Pat Tillman Award. When ESPN made the announcement, Clavel stated, “It is an honor to receive the Pat Tillman Award on behalf of all the health care workers battling COVID-19 on the frontlines. Just as Pat put his NFL career on hold to serve his country, I felt the same duty to serve my community. Although recently I have pursued my dream of boxing, helping people is my passion and I’m proud to be able to make a difference.” Marie Tillman, board chair and co-founder of the Pat Tillman Foundation, commented, “In spite of the dangers from COVID and delays to her budding boxing career, Kim chose to focus her energy on those most in need. In Pat’s name, we are honored to present the Tillman Award to Kim for her service and leadership in her healthcare work and throughout this crisis.”

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For more details on Kim Clavel’s return to nursing, click here for the full story on the ESPN site.

Koren Thomas
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