Dillon Carman

Reigning Canadian Heavyweight Boxing Champion, Big Brother Canada Contestant

Madoc, Ontario – Hastings County
You would think that the man with the heaviest fists in Canada would be a bit rough around the edges, but don’t let his size fool you: Dillon Carman is a friendly, funny guy with a big heart.
He’s the type of guy who sits at the same table at his favourite pub, the Barley Pub & Eatery in Madoc, and literally orders ‘the usual’ every time. The type of guy who brings his niece to her swimming lessons and spends his day off tubing with friends and hanging out around a campfire. For a man who has every reason to be a Big Shot, city slicker celeb, Dillon Carman is still a hometown country boy. Which is why his most recent stay in the Big Brother Canada House might’ve been his biggest challenge to battle yet.

After 62 days in the Big Brother house and in total, 88 days in isolation, what would you say is the first thing you wanted to do when you got out?
Just see my family! I needed that connection so badly. I see my mom all the time; she lives across the street from me, so not being able to talk to them, hug them, interact with them for that 88 days was hard. No TV, no outside world, no phone.

Wow! After that, do those things, your phone in particular, mean less to you now?
Totally! I leave it at the house all the time. I actually don’t even have it on me right now. I’d recommend it to anyone. Shut your phone off and take in the world that is around you. We are always taking for granted what we have; our friends, our family, our luxuries, our personal space.

As we all know from watching Big Brother, you have a new girlfriend now! When you brought her here for the first time, what was on the hometown tour?
Well, we spent a couple days on Moira Lake. Haven’t made it to the Chip Truck down there yet, that’s gotta be next on the list! We visited my Grandma up on Loon Lake and we’ve been over to Crowe Lake a couple times now, anchored down at the sand bar and spent the day chillin’. I guess I’ve been showing her all the natural beauty.
Just last weekend we went up to Eagle’s Nest in Bancroft. Possibly one of the best views in all of Ontario. I love going up there! We escaped for a bit; had a nice dinner. The whole time we were getting all sorts of texts and calls, but just ignored our phones, and had a great day.

No doubt your training and media schedule keeps you busy. It must be nice to leave it all behind for a bit. If you were to escape it for 24 hours, what does your ideal day off at home look like?
A day at the cottage! Sitting on the dock, tossing a few lines in, maybe having a couple pints. Honestly, just relaxing near water. That’s where I want to be!

That sounds like a perfectly chill day, for an otherwise busy guy. Now that you are training in the city and have been representing Madoc on a national scale, what would you say is the biggest misconception people have about a small town?
I wouldn’t say it’s a misconception, but I don’t think they realize how close-knit we are. Everyone in this town is so supportive. They’ve watched me grow up since I was a little kid. You become invested in people and their successes over time. They watched me play hockey; they watched me play baseball; they’ve been cheering me on for years. Being that close-knit, I don’t think you can understand that, unless you’ve experienced it.

Is it safe to say that the support of a small town has influenced your growth and career to a certain extent?
Absolutely, this place, Madoc Ontario, has built me into the man I am today. And because it gave me so much, I love giving back to my community. Whatever I can do for the kids around here, I do. Because I was one of those kids, you know? I was looking for someone or something to look up to, something to strive to. If I can be that for them, I am happy to do it!

Well it’s obvious that you mean a lot to this community too. What else do you think would surprise people about Hastings County?
There are tons of things to do, and for free! Go to the lake and spend some time on a dock, hang out at the Skate Park for the afternoon, take a hike at O’Hara Mill or anywhere really, there is so much green space. In the city everything has a price, but not around here.

Green space is definitely something we have an abundance of. You are lucky to have the best of both worlds right now.
Yes, but we all need nature, we need it so bad! Get out of the concrete jungle and get into the woods. Something I love to do is just park my car and hike into the woods – trail or no trail. I know it sounds corny, but I like to be one with nature; find a nice spot, sit down in the ground, look up at the trees, watch them move with the breeze. There is nothing better than peace and quiet.