Alexandra Thompson, Grade 11
UWC Mostar
Katie Taylor is a famed Irish boxer, who has made quite an indent into the world of boxing. Born on July 2nd, 1986, she made history in October 2001 at the young age of 15, winning the first officially-sanctioned women’s boxing fight ever held on Irish soil (Kelly, 2014), winning against the Belfast 16-year-old Alanna Audley, with the final score of 23-12. An impressive win, Taylor went onwards and upwards from this point forward.
A genetic factor has contributed to her string of successes: Taylor’s father is a boxing coach, and her mother a former boxing referee, with her two brothers and sister partaking in the sport also.
Her career took off at the age of 17, in 2005, when she became the first Irish woman to achieve a gold medal in the Senior European Boxing Championships, crushing Eva Wahlström of Finland in the final of the 60 kg lightweight class (Kelly 2014).
Taylor first caught my attention during the 2012 Olympics in London, where she won gold in the 60kg (light) women’s event (Katie TAYLOR - Olympic Boxing | Ireland, 2017), for the Irish national team.
The recipient of many awards, Taylor has smashed many records and made herself one of the most impactful sportswomen in Ireland to date. Among her countless achievements include World Female Boxer of the Year 2010 from the International Boxing Association (AIBA), Sportsperson of the Year 2012 from People of the Year Awards, RTE’s Sports Person of the Year in 2012, and the Irish Times/Irish Sports Council Sportswoman of the Year in 2014 (Katie Taylor - BoxRec, n.d.).
Whilst not being a boxer myself, I find myself inspired by her bravery and commitment to the sport. Furthermore, we are both learning Irish, and the resurgence of interest in learning the ‘dying language’ as a result of colonialism is helping to conserve our culture. In learning a language as an adult, it is influential to those feeling it is too late to start doing the things that are important to you, or to do what you love. This is a lesson of which I try to remind myself and those around me.
When watching her fight, I feel an immense amount of pride, seeing a woman from the small Irish town of Bray succeed and make an impact on the much larger world. It has helped me to realize that I too can make a difference and follow the dreams in my heart, and not resign myself to a much simpler, easier life.
A genetic factor has contributed to her string of successes: Taylor’s father is a boxing coach, and her mother a former boxing referee, with her two brothers and sister partaking in the sport also.
Her career took off at the age of 17, in 2005, when she became the first Irish woman to achieve a gold medal in the Senior European Boxing Championships, crushing Eva Wahlström of Finland in the final of the 60 kg lightweight class (Kelly 2014).
Taylor first caught my attention during the 2012 Olympics in London, where she won gold in the 60kg (light) women’s event (Katie TAYLOR - Olympic Boxing | Ireland, 2017), for the Irish national team.
The recipient of many awards, Taylor has smashed many records and made herself one of the most impactful sportswomen in Ireland to date. Among her countless achievements include World Female Boxer of the Year 2010 from the International Boxing Association (AIBA), Sportsperson of the Year 2012 from People of the Year Awards, RTE’s Sports Person of the Year in 2012, and the Irish Times/Irish Sports Council Sportswoman of the Year in 2014 (Katie Taylor - BoxRec, n.d.).
Whilst not being a boxer myself, I find myself inspired by her bravery and commitment to the sport. Furthermore, we are both learning Irish, and the resurgence of interest in learning the ‘dying language’ as a result of colonialism is helping to conserve our culture. In learning a language as an adult, it is influential to those feeling it is too late to start doing the things that are important to you, or to do what you love. This is a lesson of which I try to remind myself and those around me.
When watching her fight, I feel an immense amount of pride, seeing a woman from the small Irish town of Bray succeed and make an impact on the much larger world. It has helped me to realize that I too can make a difference and follow the dreams in my heart, and not resign myself to a much simpler, easier life.
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