A fifteen-year-old female boxer has won a major tournament after joining her club just 10 months ago.
Rhian Minns from Oxford, who trains at Future Boxing Academy in Chesterton, near Bicester, won the Midlands Box Cup Championship in Birmingham in the last weekend of June.
Her fellow boxer from Witney, Theo Shayler, who also trains with the academy, came second, losing on points in the final to the current eastern counties champion for the under 80kg weight class.
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Head coach at the club, Harley Walton, said: “I feel really good about the results. In the gym these guys have been the two that really stood out, they’ve put so much hard work in. Really well deserved.
“It was amazing to watch them in this tournament. Every time I’m stood in the corner of the ring with my fighters I’m proud.
“When we started the club, all the boxers were starting from scratch too. They’ve got to such a high level so quickly. They make me proud every time they step in the ring.”
Mr Walton, a professional boxer who trains in Hoddesdon, talked about what it takes to be a good boxer.
He said: “It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, and training, to become a good boxer.
“But talent will only take you to a certain level. People need the belief that they can be the best. They’re not going to get to where they want to be otherwise.
“Boxing is great for mental health, self-defence and confidence. Mr Shayler is autistic, when we first met him, he struggled with certain social interactions, and now he leads junior classes. His confidence has shot up.”
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This story was written by Matthew Norman, he joined the team in 2022 as a Facebook community reporter.
Matthew covers Bicester and focuses on finding stories from diverse communities.
Get in touch with him by emailing: Matthew.norman@newsquest.co.uk
Follow him on Twitter: @OxMailMattN1
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