Tammara Thibeault pumps her fist in celebrationLeah Hennel/COC
Leah Hennel/COC

Tammara Thibeault

Biography

Tammara Thibeault made her Olympic debut at Tokyo 2020 where she advanced to the quarterfinals of the women’s 75kg event, matching Canada’s best-ever Olympic result in any women’s boxing event.

A year later, she was crowned middleweight world champion at the 2022 IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships. Thibeault swept through to the final on unanimous decisions in her first three bouts before finishing off with a 4-1 victory over Panama’s Atheyna Bylon. She didn’t get a chance to defend that title as Canada was among the many countries that opted not to send any boxers to the 2023 IBA World Championships in protest of the world governing body, which had been suspended by the IOC.

Thibeault had another major victory in 2022 as she won gold at the Commonwealth Games, improving upon the bronze she had won in 2018. She won back-to-back gold medals at the AMBC Pan American Championships in 2022 and 2023. She had previously won gold at the continental championships in 2017 and 2019, the former being her first senior international tournament.

In 2018, Thibeault suffered two nose fractures and had to go without contact for eight weeks, which was not ideal just a few months before her first world championships. But she got headgear with a bar to protect her nose as much as possible and ended up making the quarterfinals at the worlds. 

Thibeault started her 2019 season by winning the Copa Independencia, an annual tournament in the Dominican Republic that marks the start of the boxing year in the Americas. She competed at her first Pan Am Games and came home from Lima 2019 with a bronze medal but was later upgraded to silver after her semifinal opponent was disqualified for doping. She ended the year by winning bronze at the 2019 IBA Women’s World Championships. 

A Little More About Tammara

Getting into the Sport: Took up boxing at age 9 because her father and brother were attending a class for fun… Began competing at age 12… Was inspired to compete for Canada while watching the first women’s Olympic boxing competition at London 2012… Outside Interests: Working on a Bachelor degree in Urban Studies at Concordia University with plans to pursue a Masters in Architecture, specializing in sustainable housing… Enjoys reading, singing, and hiking during her time off… Odds and Ends: Collects snow globes from different places she travels… Brings her stuffed teddy bear Groot to every tournament… Favourite Motto: Have fun, and kick butt…

Olympic Highlights

Games Sport Event Finish
Tokyo 2020Boxing75kg Middleweight - Women5

Notable International Results

Olympic Games: 2020 - 5th (75kg)

Pan American Games: 2019 - SILVER

Commonwealth Games: 2022 – GOLD (75kg); 2018 - BRONZE (75kg)

IBA World Championships: 2022 – GOLD (75kg); 2019 - BRONZE (75kg); 2018 - Quarterfinals (75kg)

AMBC Pan American Championships: 2023 – GOLD (75kg); 2022 – GOLD (75kg); 2019 - GOLD (75kg); 2017 - GOLD (75kg)