'Just another day at the office': Sask-born boxer gloves up for world title

Undefeated ineight matches, Kandi Wyatt has earned a shot to compete internationally for a world title.

Wyatt is heading to Athens, Greece for the World Boxing Organization's world junior welterweight championship on March 23. She'll be fighting against Greece's Christina Linardatou.

"It is a big deal, it's a world title fight," Wyatt said. "I am very excited about it but at the same time, I do need to keep my nerves in check."

"I'm really just thinking about it as if it's another fight," she said. "It's basically just another day at the office."

Wyatt isn't too concerned about travelling sinceshe travelled a bit with the Canadian National Team in 2010 and in her amateur career.

"We knew it was going to happen eventually that we were going to have to go somewhere else to fight it and that time has just arrived," Wyatt said. "We show up ready to fight."

"Honestly, this fight coming upthis world title fightthis is something that I'm never going toforget," she said.

Wyatt was born in Estevan and now lives and trains in Calgary. Her extended family is still in the Arcola, Carlyle and Kisbey area.

Her interest in boxing started when she was eight, and enrolled in gymnastics.

"The gymnastics club and the boxing gym were in the same building and there was no wall that separated the two facilities so we could watch each other train," she said.

"I'd be at gymnastics practice and just a little bit distracted by the boxing. I thought it looked a little bit more interesting."

Wyatt asked her coach and parents if she could switch sports and 20 years later she's on the international stage.

Boxing has really helped mould who I am today as a person. And I'm really happy with who that person is.- Kandi Wyatt

The transition from amateur to pro wasn't difficult but different when it came to pacing.

"As a professional fighter, I'm fighting anywhere between six and 10 rounds whereas as an amateur I was only fighting four," she said. "There's a little bit more focus on different aspects of boxing as a professional that I had to take a little bit to get used to."

Her boxing career also develops her outside the ring, she said.

"I have a lot of self-confidence. I do have a really good work ethic. I'm very disciplined as well," she said. "Boxing has really helped mould who I am today as a person. And I'm really happy with who that person is."

Beyond the next world title match, Wyatt wants to have numerous titles.

"I want to capture this WBO [World Boxing Organization title] and then defend it for the rest of my career and retire as a champion," she said.

"Capture as many world title belts as I can and keep them until I'm ready to hang up the gloves."