Amy raises bar in boxing ambition

Amy White (left) believes she has what it takes to be a successful amateur boxer

By Carl Yapp
BBC News website

What makes someone want to step into a boxing ring and fight?

After all, the thought of a flat nose, cauliflower ears and nasty cuts are enough to put the most hardened of people off, but the possibility of physical harm doesn't seem to faze 20-year-old Amy White.

A few months ago the part-time barmaid and around 20 other women joined Brecon Amateur Boxing Club in Powys.

After just one gym session thoughts of pulling pints switched to pulling no punches in the ring; Amy was bitten by the boxing bug.

Club trainers had advertised for women to join the club to help them improve their levels of fitness.

But this isn't 'boxercise' in a nice comfortable leisure centre, as I found when I visited the club's back street gym.

It is basic but practical and wouldn't have looked out of place in Sylvester Stallone's Rocky movies.

From the first session in the gym I knew I wanted to take it further and actually step into the ring and box Amy White

Punch bags swung in the cool summer breeze, while medicine balls, weights, skipping ropes and boxing gloves were waiting to be used.

But I was baffled.

We all know boxing has its dangers and can be demanding, even for an amateur, and I saw the Oscar-winning movie Million Dollar Baby, so why does Amy want to step into the ring?

"I've always been interested in boxing, and I watch it on television. My dad was an amateur too," she said.

"From the first session in the gym I knew I wanted to take it further and actually step into the ring and box.

"My mum is a bit worried that I'll hurt myself, but I've got good trainers so I'm not really worried. In fact, I'm excited and I can't wait - I'm really looking forward to it."

But from first impressions Amy seems quite shy and retiring, and I asked if she was confident she had what it took to step into the ring in front of a vociferous crowd?

Broken nose

She assured me she had. "I have got a bit of a temper, but it's all about controlling it. My trainers say I have a great back hand (a punch) and I know I can win in the boxing ring."

Trying not to be sexist, I ask about her looks. What if she suffered a broken nose?

"I'm not really worried about that. I really want to do this," she replied.

One of her trainers Andy Griffiths, a former Welsh super-heavyweight champion, admitted he was "a bit surprised" when Amy told him she wanted to box.

"But Amy is confident she can do it and I think she has the right stuff to win in the ring," he said.

He added: "We wanted women to learn about the benefits of boxing training, but we were a sceptical because we thought, 'how many women would want to come to a sweaty blokes boxing gym?'

"I suppose some people could find this sort of environment intimidating.

Amy is confident she can do it and I think she has the right stuff to win in the ring Trainer Andy Griffiths

"The local leisure centre offers boxercise in very nice surroundings, but what we offer is harder and more intensive.

"We have about 20 or so women on the books."

Mr Griffiths is right. The training is harder and more intensive and he was soon putting the women through their paces the evening I visited.

It started with 10 minutes of intensive aerobics, followed by bag training where flurries of punches were thrown.

The evening ended with dozens of squats, star jumps, press-ups and stomach crunches - it wasn't a pretty sight, but keeping fit is a sweaty job.

In the lead up to her first amateur fight, Amy's training will intensify.

Mr Griffiths said he expected her to run up to 30 miles (48.2km) a week, attend the gym three nights a week and power train every other Saturday.

Amy's first amateur fight takes place in Brecon on 24 October in front of some of the sport's finest, Nigel Benn and Frank Bruno, who have been invited to an evening of boxing.

• Women's boxing could make its Olympic debut at the 2012 Games in London.

The sport's amateur governing body has voted to propose its inclusion to the International Olympic Committee with a decision expected in October.