Boxing for girls and women fundraiser
Friday, 20 November 2015
Boxing Coach at Hebden Bridge Boxing Club, Kate Dakers has told the HebWeb, "We need support to raise funds for our female boxers development programme.
"We're opening up the gym doors from 9-2pm on Sat 28th November for a five hour fundraiser comprising half hour taster sessions plus mothers v daughters Boxercise and a Jane Fonda workout thrown in for fun. It's an opportunity to come and see the gym, try out a class and meet some of our boxers as well as the women who train with us."
Boxing for girls and women is really taking off fueled by the fantastic success of the GB Boxing Team in the 2012 Olympics. Recent Sport England figures suggest that the number of women attending boxing classes at least once a week has risen from 23,000 to 35,000. It's difficult to believe that a 116 year ban on women's boxing was only lifted in 1996 and it was only 2009 when it was decided women's boxing would be included in the Olympics introducing three weight divisions-flyweight, lightweight and middleweight.
Boxing's Rio 2016 female hopefuls include Chantelle Cameron, Lisa Whiteside and Savannah Marshall. England Boxing holds regular regional squad sessions to develop potential future Olympians and last year saw women vie for gold in the Commonwealth Games for the first time.
Lots of women take up boxing to get fit but find they love it and want to take it up properly. Women's boxing hopefuls in our own gym include Hatty Nylan and following on her coat tails is 12 year old Mia Kelly. Hatty says, "without the support of the club I would never have got to this level of the sport."
32 year old Hatty who weighs in at 56 kilos, juggles 2 part time jobs with a strict daily training regime.
"I've improved a lot since my first bout. I won the women's 60kg title at the England Boxing Elite Championships in 2014 and got to the quarter finals this year in Liverpool but got beat in the semis by Chantelle Cameron who's pipped to go to Rio in 2016. We train alongside members of the GB team and other Olympic hopefuls at squads in Warrington which is one of the things we are fundraising for."
"I'm working towards competing at Haringey Box Cup, Europe's largest amateur boxing event which takes place at the Alexandra Palace, London 19-21 June 2016. As well as the 2016 Elite boxing championships where I'm determined to make the finals this time."
Says Coach Kate Dakers, "To develop Hatty's skills and training and get her ready for these major competitions, we need to get her to as many regional squad training camps as we can. Funding makes it really difficult for women to step up to the next level which is why these fundraising events are so important to raise funds for the club to give us opportunities to spar with women from other clubs and get to competitions."
"We need more support at grassroots levels, to create more opportunities for our young and upcoming female boxers such as 12 year old Mia Kelly."
"Mia's still a developmental boxer, and we're working on getting her boxing at club level competitions. It's difficult for female fighters as there's not many around yet and finding an opponent of the same weight and experience is hard. We often have to take our girls out of the region. In order to bring our young girls on we start them off on Club shows, our next is coming up in February 2016 so we're working hard to get Mia ready."
Everyone should try boxing once. Whatever your age or ability, whether you want to be the next female Olympian or just want to get fit, lose weight or build confidence come along and support our fundraiser and try out a bit of boxing.
To be guaranteed a place you must book and turn up at least ten mins before the start of the session. Otherwise, try your luck on the day, there will be spaces in at least some of the sessions. Details on the Box4Fitness website.
The Raffle Draw takes place at 1.30 with prizes including 2 tickets to the 'Sisters of Blues and Soul' weekend in Todmorden, July 8-10, 2016 (worth £50 each); a month's Box4itness membership and club kit, vouchers from local businesses and, a bumper Health and Fitness Hamper.
