Page 38 - IssueNo101

38 Issue #101 June 2021 www.sportsenergynews.com

Focus on Trainers: Coach Jalil Tazi with the

Undefeated Program at Caveman Strong

By Casey Leger friendly environment.”
Coach Jalil feels that the Undefeated
oach Jalil Tazi is the MMA, Program at Caveman Strong is a unique
Ckickboxing, and boxing coach for experience when it comes to local training
the Undefeated Program at Caveman opportunities. “Cornwall area has great
Strong. Among his credentials, he claims trainers and gyms in boxing, taekwondo,
certification as a Boxing Ontario and karate and kung fu, but those gyms are
Canadian Sport coach, a Muay Thai specialized in their one martial art field,”
trainer, and a kickboxing coach. A 2019 he explains.
silver medalist at the Ontario Kickboxing
“We have a full facility with a highly
Championship, Coach Jalil has been skilled staff, specialized in mixed
training for years. “Now it is time to give martial arts. To complete the team, we
back and share what I’ve learned,” he says.
have an Olympic wrestling coach and a
As anyone with martial or fighting arts professional MMA fighter for grappling
experience knows, there’s more to it than and BJJ coaching. We have a full strength
learning striking and grappling. “I see it and conditioning area and a certified
as a long-term investment in your health, functional pattern and conditioning trainer.
both physical and mental,” says Coach We have all levels of classes starting at 4
Jalil. “I don’t think that in 2021 we still years old.” The program offers technical
have to prove how important training and fitness classes. “Finally,” says Coach
is for a human being. People know that Jalil, “we have the best fighting team
they should train for a lot of reasons; the in the area, including 8 fighters, both
problem is that it is rare to find a place professional and amateur, in MMA, Muay
where you can enjoy it. This is what Thai, kickboxing, grappling, wrestling Photo Submitted
is missing in most gyms: a real fun and and boxing.”

Bill Makinson Wraps It Up

By Christine Ouellet the opportunity to become full-time He took over the chair responsibilities
producer of YourTV Cornwall at of Crafting a Cure in support of the
Cogeco became a reality. He considered Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
his June, one of Cornwall’s most
Timportant media figures will retire. himself very fortunate. He’s been arrested for a good cause and
Producer Bill Makinson has been the man During his 23-year career at Cogeco, was asked to be celebrity judge for many
behind the camera covering events that Makinson produced a variety of lifestyle local events.
have marked our community for several programming, CCHL Jr. A Cornwall Among the many shows he’s produced
decades. Bill and his wife, Sue will Colts Hockey, and special events. are Mental Health Matters, with
be moving to the Kingston area to be There are many highlights in his volunteer host Angele D’Alessio, CHMA
closer to their daughter, son-in-law, and career and moments he will never forget, Champlain East. In 2020, the team,
grandchildren. such as in 1996 when Cornwall Bill Makinson, Gabriel Riviere-Reid,
As a student at Cornwall Collegiate hosted the Special Olympics games and Chris Rhode received the Media
Vocational School, Bill Makinson and Cogeco broadcasted the opening Champions Awards from the Canadian
wanted to work in TV production, but ceremonies LIVE. He was part of the Alliance on Mental Health. This series
for a while, his career took a different production crew and operated a hand- lasted over 5 years and had 60 episodes
turn. He eventually caught up with his held camera, conscious that the event which aimed at raising awareness
destiny while doing some recording for would be viewed by millions of people. and address the stigma surrounding
Domtar. He said, “At first you have butterflies, mental health issues. On the show, they
After high school, he worked at Disco Photo Submitted but it goes away. I devote as much interviewed not only mental health care
Wheels roller skating rink as a DJ and operator for Domtar, Bill started attention and cover each event with the professionals, but he also invited people
supervisor from September 1979 to May volunteering with the community same professionalism, whether it is a who were living with mental illness.
1982. “It was the big thing at the time, channel and eventually applied for high school basketball game or a press For Makinson, TV production is only
everybody loved it,” he said. a part-time production assistant position conference.” made possible with the collaboration of
He joined Domtar in July 1984 and in 1998. This was the beginning of a He also mentions the Shorty Jenkins many community groups. Retiring
worked for them until 2006, boasting a dual career that lasted 8 years, where Classic in 2019, which was a big means saying goodbye to the production
21-year and 9-month career which ended during a long period, jobs overlapped. production broadcasted across all the volunteers, many community producers,
when the company ceased operations. He said that it was difficult for him to YourTV systems. They brought in a his mentor and manager, Scott Meyers,
During this period, he was asked in 1995 leave a good stable job at Domtar, but larger production vehicle from Belleville and his production colleagues, Chris and
to record an event at the mill. They felt at the same time, he could not stay and in addition to covering the event, Gabriel, who are two great producers.
that safety issues were very important away from his passion for community he had to ensure that the crew would The Cornwall community is
and needed to be communicated to television. For Bill, whose mind was be well taken care of. expressing its gratitude at the news of
everyone. Bill reconnected with high well trained in multi-tasking, he found a Makinson was also involved with the his retirement, as shown by the activity
school friend and the manager of the way to manage his schedule and to do Multiple Sclerosis Golf Tournament, he on his Facebook site. At the time of
community station, Calvin Killoran. both jobs. was on the Board of Big Brothers Big writing, there are already well over
While he was production machine With the closure of the Domtar plant, Sisters for 11 years, and he was the United 500 comments congratulating him and
Way SDG campaign chair for two years. saying thank you Bill.