A WANDERER no more, the roars of a fervent battalion of Swindon supporters helped drive Kelly Morgan into the position to challenge for a world title.

In just her fourth professional fight, the 35-year-old outpointed Germany’s Lisa Cielas to claim the vacant WBC Silver female middleweight title at Grange Leisure Centre on Friday night, making her the mandatory challenger for the world crown currently held by American Kali Reis.

Before moving to Swindon and launching a pro boxing career, Morgan, who was born in Dover, won a javelin bronze medal at the 2002 Commonwealth Games in Manchester and also played netball for England.

But now that she stands on the cusp of making it to the pinnacle of a sport, the new WBC Silver champion is coming to terms with the prospect of realising a life’s ambition.

“This is my lifestyle now. Since I was a tiny, tiny girl, I wanted to become a world champion in sport,” said Morgan, who served in both the Royal Air Force and the British Army, “I didn’t know what sport but that was my goal right back then, so this isn’t 18 months of boxing – this is 35 years of dreaming.

“I feel a huge sense of gratitude that I’m finally on that right path. I’ve never had a home town. I was a military kid and then I joined the military myself, and I just kept moving.

“I get itchy feet after 18 months but this is the first place where I’ve settled and people have properly got behind me, and that’s just gold dust.

“I’ve found my home and my sport after 35 years. That’s amazing, so I’m very lucky. That’s part of what makes this, for me, so special.

“I can’t get my head around the fact that I’ve won (the WBC Silver title). I have got learning to do. My feet are firmly rooted below the ground – I know I’ve got work to do but I will do it.

“We train relentlessly and I’m working as quickly as I can to accelerate my boxing brain because I’m such a new boxer, and I will keep doing that.

“I’ll keep learning, I’ll keep improving and I’ll get my shot.”

Judges Terry O’Connor, Jeff Hinds and Martin Williams handed Morgan, who is trained by Richard Farnan, a unanimous 80-72, 79-75, 79-75 decision after she saw off the challenge of Cielas but the Swindon ace admits that she far from took the occasion in her stride.

She added: “I must admit that was another learning curve. The level of nerves I had was unrivalled. I get nervous – I think that’s a good thing, to a degree – but I felt sick as a dog.

“We talked about everything that was at stake. The crowd; they wouldn’t mind – win, lose or draw; they’re there for me – but I wanted to make it a night to remember.”