Lillian Marchand of the Okanagan Indian Band poses at the North Okanagan-Shuswap (NOS) Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts club in syilx homelands on June 28, holding her Brazilian jiu-jitsu championships from her 2023 season.
Image Credit: Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative
July 11, 2023 - 7:00 PM
Nearly 10 years after first setting foot on a Brazilian jiu-jitsu (BJJ) mat, Lillian Marchand has amassed a resume in the sport that most competitors her age can only dream of.
At just 16 years old, the Youth from Okanagan Indian Band is already a two-time World Jiu-Jitsu Champion, a two-time Pan Jiu-Jitsu Champion, a Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu Champion and a European Jiu-Jitsu Champion.
BJJ is a self-defence martial art and combat sport which involves disarming an opponent by utilizing a series of artful moves to pin them to the mat — relying more on skill rather than strength or size.
“I never had someone to look up to in jiu-jitsu from the Okanagan Indian Band, let alone Canada, so I want to be that person to put us out there in the world,” said Marchand.
Marchand started in the sport after experiencing bullying in school when she was just five years old. Her parents decided to enrol her at the North Okanagan-Shuswap (NOS) Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts club in syilx homelands for self-defence lessons.
In her very first competition a year later, Marchand remembers losing “very badly.” But it didn’t take long for her to take to the sport and start winning tournaments.
“She was quiet, shy to start with, but picked up the techniques pretty good and listened really well,” said Mario Deveault, the owner of the NOS Jiu Jitsu club, who has been helping to train Marchand since she first stepped into the club’s doors.
“As soon as she entered a tournament and got that taste of victory, it’s been non-stop tournaments.”
This past season, from January to June, she divided her time between training at Atos Jiu Jitsu HQ in San Diego, California, and travelling the globe for BJJ competitions.
It was her second year on the world tour of the International Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu Federation (IBJJF) circuit. In that six-month span, she won her second World Jiu-Jitsu championship and Pan Jiu-Jitsu championship, as well as her first Brasileiro de Jiu-Jitsu and European Jiu-Jitsu championships — earning her the IBJJF Grand Slam achievement.
“She’s the first in Canada to do what she did,” said Deveault. “She’s a black belt right now without the black belt. She’s that good.”
Her Grand Slam achievement also earned her a purple belt, and as she closes in on 17-years-of-age, she now qualifies for competing in the adult division of BJJ.
“She killed it. She was on a mission. She’s on a mission to do the same thing at purple, brown and black,” said Deveault.
Lillian Marchand trains with one of her students, Taylor Vanderwal, at the North Okanagan-Shuswap Jiu Jitsu and Mixed Martial Arts club in syilx homelands on June 28, 2023.
Image Credit: Aaron Hemens, Local Journalism Initiative
He noted that he hasn’t seen any teenage competitors from the club that show the same focus, drive and determination that Marchand displays.
“Determinated, focused and ready to go. She puts in all the hard work,” he said. “She’s the person to beat.”
He also described her as a beloved role model at the club who many look up to.
“They understand that if you want to be really good at this, you look at Lillian,” Deveault said.
Marchand recently returned from her second BJJ tour, but is back to spending at least three days a week at the NOS club. As she gears up for the upcoming season in January, she’s not only training at her home club, but she’s also helping to teach others the sport as well.
“It’s the competitions and the people that keep me going. I don’t think I’d be able to ever step away from this place. It’s like a family — that’s what it’s really grown into,” she said.
“You go from training as a kid … now I’m in the adult class and now I’m stepping into different roles that I wouldn’t have expected to.”
Outside of training, it’s the people who she says is her favourite part about the sport. She has a supportive cast of people around her — from her coaches, to her family and teachers at school — who have all made her success possible.
“She’s got support from here, support from home and she’s definitely taking advantage of that. The results are pretty clear,” said Deveault.
Fundraisers and raffle draws helped fund Marchand’s travels and living expenses. She completed her studies online while she was away from her community, which was no easy task given that she is in a French immersion program.
“It was tough mentally to be away from family, friends and my home for such a long time, at such a young age,” she said.
“But I had a goal in mind — I had all these competitions and things I wanted to do, that I didn’t really have time to worry. I just had time to focus on myself and train.”
Marchand has completed her childhood dream of being a world champion and teacher of the sport. Now, her eyes are set on being a black belt champion.
“I don’t really think about all this stuff a lot. I’m just me — I’m just Lillian,” she said.
Deveault said that Marchand is more than capable of owning her own club one day, and can easily make a profession out of the sport.
“She puts in the hard work. I’m proud of that. I’m proud that she stuck with it. But again, they’re her goals,” he said. “I’m super happy that she’s reaching them.”
Right now, Marchand said her focus is on her purple belt years. She’s also the proud teacher of a student named Taylor Vanderwal, who Marchand says she sees a lot of herself in.
“It’s cool to see all these kids grow and see the sport grow. I also want to leave a legacy behind,” she said.
That legacy she hopes to leave behind, she said, is one where she’s celebrated as a good person and respectable competitor, not a brutal or rude one.
“When I’m done competing, I want people to remember me for being happy and positive, being kind,” she said.
“That’s what I want to see when I go — that’s what people remember you for a lot.”
— This story was originally published by The Discourse.
News from © iNFOnews, 2023