The Boxer’s Brain

Storylines

Claire Hafner at 47, is among the top women boxers in the world. She’s just about ready for retirement but wants to win the Canadian title before hanging up her gloves.

However, a question hangs over the timing of when retirement will come.

Claire is also among a small group of women athletes who are participating in a landmark study on the effects of trauma in mostly combat sports.

Every year she gets tested for signs of head trauma to see if all those hits are leading to a long-term degenerative brain condition, known as CTE or chronic traumatic encephalopathy.

In this documentary we follow Claire to Las Vegas where she’s undergoing a new round of tests, and if they show a sign of decline, she’s going to retire before attempting to win that last Canadian title.

At the end of the show we’ll hear another documentary about boxing, but this one with a surprising twist. We’re going to drop you into a chess boxing match in London,UK. You can win by a KO or by checkmate. That documentary was reported by Laura Lynch back in 2011 for Dispatches.

Reported and produced by Katie Nicholson. Story Editing by Acey Rowe with help from Liz Hoath.

Storylines is part of the CBC Audio Doc Unit