A Ponteix-born boxer is reaping the rewards of his relocation to Medicine Hat to pursue the sport.

Out of Medicine Hat Boxing Club, and competing for Team Alberta at the2019 Canada Winter Games, Janick Lacroix earned silver on the national stage in Red Deer on Wednesday.

"I've worked really hard for this - I've been working for this for a couple years now," Lacroix explained. "A couple years ago, (Coach Kerry Fahlman) called me up and told me that I was eligible for the Canada Winter Games - I've trained really hard ever since he told me that."

Fighting in the 75 kg weight class, Lacroix won by stoppage in the first round of his opening bout against James Thomas (Newfoundland).

"The first one really I just attacked the guy. First round I really just went after him, went for the body, and finished him the first round," he noted.

In his second match, the 16-year-old earned a 5-0 decision over Jonathan Hanna (BC) to advance to his shot at gold.

"The second fight really I was just looking to hurt the guy, and finish from there - I didn't finish him, but I got the win."

There, Lacroix ran into a tough opponent, Moe Zawadi (Ontario) - the two athletes boxed to a tight decision, as Zawadi earned a 3-2 score from the judges.

The Quebec judge (29-27), Nova Scotia judge (29-28), and Newfoundland judge (30-27) gave the nod to Zawadi, while the Manitoba judge (28-29) and BC judge (28-29) were in favour of Lacroix.

"It was a really good fight. I thought I did enough to win gold, so taking home silver's not what I really wanted," he said. "But, it's definitely big - I worked really hard to get there, and taking home silver does mean a lot."

Lacroix is now into his third year of life in Medicine Hat, a move he says has worked wonders for more than just his development.

"It's definitely helped me a lot - I've been travelling very far, my coach has been taking me everywhere to these big competitions like the Canada Games," he said. "That gives me really good exposure for the rest of Canada to see me."

Up next for Lacroix is a run at a Boxing Alberta Provincial title March 9-10 in Leduc. After that, his sights will be set on Nationals.