Life has dealt single mum Rebecca Connolly a few blows, but she has fought back with the help of white collar boxing. EMMA DUNN reports

WHEN Rebecca Connolly’s marriage ended, she used it as an opportunity to take on a new challenge.

The mother-of-four, who lives in Stratton St Margaret, took up boxing after she and her husband went their separate ways following eight years together.

In December, the 29-year-old took part in her first white collar boxing match – and won.

“When my relationship came to an end in November 2011 I was, without a doubt, heartbroken,” said Bec, who is originally from Watford.

“I went through some incredibly tough times and had a lot of loss in my family at the same time.

“I decided that, as hard as it was without my family in Swindon, that my children were settled at school here. The divorce was enough of an emotional upheaval for them awithout moving towns too, so I decided to stay.

“I went through a time of grieving, made a few mistakes but got through it. I learnt that its okay to be knocked right down, as long as you get back up and never quit.

“A really positive thing to come out of being single again was wanting to get back to doing the things that I loved. I competed at a reasonable standard in Judo and other martial arts when I was younger and I loved it.

“However, in my last competition I broke my collar bone and dislocated my shoulder.

“Although I went back to training briefly after that, I was never the same fighter, I had lost my nerve so I gradually lost interest and gave up.

“It was always something that stayed with me and my regret niggled at me into my adult life.”

Bec, who works full time as an intervention youth worker at Stratton Education Centre, has always been a boxing fan and wanted to see if she could do it.

She had walked into a boxing gym in Swindon eight years ago but only lasted one session because she wasn’t fit enough.

It wasn’t until September 2012 that she started at Fitzpatrick’s Boxing Gym, and later signed up to take part in her first white collar boxing match.

Bec, who raises funds for different charities every year, took part in the match for the Prospect Hospice.

“I love Fitzpatrick’s gym, I got a warm welcome despite it being a predominantly male environment,” she said.

Her training was hindered just three weeks after starting at Fitzpatrick’s when she damaged her knee tendon in the Swindon Half Marathon, which meant she had to rest from sport for five months.

Just as she was getting back into training she needed major abdominal surgery, which meant she was out for two months again.

After recovering from surgery, she trained for just 10 weeks before she slipped on ice while out running and split her chin open, having to get it glued back together, which meant another two weeks off training – leaving her just one week to train for the match.

“It really shook my confidence as I knew I wouldn’t get any more practice in, I would just have to go with what I already knew and hope for the best.”

On December 16, Bec made history when she competed against Toni Sherwood in the town’s first all female white collar boxing match at the MECA.

Toni fell in the first round, but righted herself before replying with a flurry of body shots.

By the second round she looked to be taking an advantage, pinning Bec into a corner. But Bec came back strongly, the taller fighter benefiting from a longer reach.

By the end of the second round, Toni was unable to continue, and the fight was called for Bec.

“I didn’t expect the level of nervousness that I had on the day at all. I felt sick the entire day and I needed coaxing out of that changing room,” she said.

“I didn’t concentrate on the result. For me, it was just getting in there and giving it my best shot.

“There were about 2,000 people there. The stage fright was the worst bit for me. Some nerves are a good thing though.”

Bec thanked the Fitzpatrick’s Boxing Gym team, including Paddy Fitzpatrick, Leo Dart, Garvey Kelly and Craig Leadbeater, and Luke Watkins, for their support.

“There were times when I know how ridiculous I looked. You could almost hear everyone thinking ‘what is this chick doing turning up with four kids to train on a Saturday?’, but gym owner Paddy Fitzpatrick made all my children welcome.

“My children have hopefully learned a valuable lesson, that if you want something and are willing to work hard enough for it then most things are possible in life.”

Bec is mother to seven-year-old Gracie-Audrey, six-year-old Eaddie-Summer, and Jimmie and Reggie, who are both two.

Balancing training with childcare was no easy task, but Bec, who is qualified to teach English as a foreign language, got childcare by exchanging English lessons for discounted childcare.

Bec plans to continue boxing and encouraged other women to take up the sport.

“I found that I loved boxing as it gave me time away, focused completely on nothing else – not being anyone’s mum, girlfriend, employee or worrying how to pay the bills that month – just two hours to myself,” she said.

“When you fight everything else is non-existent and completely irrelevant – I like that.

“I have learned that pretty much anybody can learn the technique with enough hours spent practising. However putting into practice and using it mid-fight is much harder.

“To be able to time punches instinctively in the middle of fast exchanges is something to aspire to. I have so much respect and admiration for those who can, and the work they put in to get to their standard.

“I set myself this challenge of competing on Fightclub and wanted to do it before I turned 30. I’m really pleased that I managed to see it through. I am going to continue boxing for as long as I enjoy doing it.”

Bec is writing a novel, which is called Two Sides Of the Same.

“I have drawn on some of my own experiences to write it, but it’s very much crime fiction. I would love to get a publisher so I could avoid going down the digital only route,” she said.

“I think I like boxing for the same reasons that I love to write. There’s a sense of truth in both, a fearlessness, or at least the ability to proceed regardless.

“You have to put everything you have into both fighting and writing and stand subject to the scrutiny of others.

“It’s the discipline and determination that are the qualities I admire.”

Coaches are available for boxers of all levels at Fitzpatrick’s Boxing Gym in Ferndale Road.

For more information visit www.fitzpatricksboxinggym.com.