11 Years Ago… A Talented Multi-World Champion Who’s Life was Cut Short in January of 2009: Remembering Giselle Salandy

January 2020 marks 11 years since Giselle Salandy at just the age of 21 years old died in a vehicular accident on the morning of January 4, 2009, when she crashed into a concrete pillar while driving west into Port of Spain on the Beetham Highway. [Copyrighted Story written by Sue TL Fox of WBAN]

Giselle Salandy, 17-0-0 (6KO), a six-time world title holder was inducted into the IWBHF in 2016 posthumously.

Giselle Salandy (a.k.a. Jizelle Joseph) of Fyzabad in Trinidad and Tobago was born in Siparia on January 25,1987.  Giselle began boxing at age 11.  Giselle  made her professional boxing debut … at age 13 on February 25, 2000 in Port of Spain, Trinidad.   At this time, Salandy had a birth certificate that showed she was over the legal minimum age of 17 for licensing professional boxers in Trinidad.  In 2001,  the Trinidad Boxing Commission realized Salandy’s true age … and banned her from fighting in the country again until she turned 17. This forced Salandy’s boxing career to move offshore.

On January 29, 2004, four days after her 17th birthday and receiving her pro license, she defended the WIBA Ibero-American Light Welterweight Title at the Indoor Sports Arena in Saith Park, Chaguanas, Trinidad and Tobago where she defeated Paola Rojas by a decision in a rematch.

On September 15, 2006 at Skinner Park in San Fernando, Trinidad and Tobago, Salandy won the WBA and WBC women’s Junior Middleweight titles when she defeated American Elizabeth Mooney by a seventh-round TKO.  She was the youngest boxer to win a world boxing title and the first boxer in the history of West Indies to win the WBA and WBC titles in one night.

On December 9, 2006 Salandy (149¼ lbs) made still more boxing history at the Jean Pierre Complex in Port of Spain, Trinidad. Giselle won five Junior Middleweight world title belts – WBA, WBC, NABC, WBE, and IWBF – defeating Miriam Brakache by decision.

Salandy’s multi-title win also earned her WBAN’s nomination as “Top History-Making Fighter for 2006”.

In Salandy’s last fight, she fought on December 26, 2008, defeating Yahaira Hernandez by a ten-round unanimous decision where she was defending the WBC / WBA / WIBA Super welterweight world titles.

Eight days later, tragically, Giselle Salandy died following a vehicular accident on the Beetham Highway on the outskirts of Port of Spain on the morning of January 4th 2009.     [Special Tribute Slideshow]

Salandy was a role model for others in the sport and she hoped to use her boxing fame to do her part in the fight against youth crime in Trinidad. She felt that drugs were the main source of the crime in Trinidad.  Salandy felt strongly that the solution could be found in sports or other extra-curricular activities that could help to develop disciplined and positively driven individuals.

Salandy had credited sports for being the turning point in her life after she lost her mother at age 11.  She also had hoped eventually to open and run a home for the abandoned and destitute children who were her one passion outside boxing.

Some bright lights burn only briefly, but their brilliance is long remembered. Giselle was one of them.