STUDLEY teenager Olivia Freeman has been rewarded for her excellent progress after being selected to join the England Boxing team.
The 15-year-old, who boxes for the Jewellery Quarter Boxing Club in Birmingham, attended a national team assessment camp in July at the English Institute of Sport’s Sheffield gym.
All the boxers on assessment were put through fitness, tactical and technical tests in order to ascertain their current status and to evaluate their potential in terms of representing England on the international stage.
Olivia clearly impressed as this week the letter she has been waiting for finally arrived and she was delighted to learn she has been offered a place in the England Boxing Talent Team at under 66 kilograms.
Olivia said: “I am proud and honoured to have been selected to represent my country and it seems like a dream at the moment.
“I will remain humble and continue to work hard to improve week on week and I am really looking forward to pulling on my England vest for the first time in competition.”
Her club coach Mick Maguire said: “This justifies all the hard work Olivia has put in so far and reinforces what we have believed from the start in that Olivia is amongst our nation’s finest boxers.
“I must give thanks to Olivia’s parents who are incredible in their support of Olivia’s boxing.
“Ken gives up weekend after weekend to drive Olivia to sparring days and competitions and Karen travelled all the way to Denmark last year with Olivia to compete in the Haslev Box Cup tournament, in which Olivia won the gold medal.
“The results are achieved by a real team effort and we all push together to make sure Olivia is given all the opportunities her talent deserves.”
