Amirah is already looking forward to her boxing ‘Big Day’!

 

Amirah McGeown is 12 years old and is a regular visitor to Merlins Bridge Amateur Boxing Club, where she really enjoys taking part in all the activities, including sparring, and has shown such promise that, subject to being properly matched up, as likely to open the club’s forthcoming annual boxing ‘Home Show’.
 
It will mean she will walk from the changing rooms to ringside, in front of a huge crowd, with a song of her choice blaring out alongside the  flashing lights – and top coach Graham Brockway and her dad Martin are sure she will take it in her stride as she makes her first full appearance in a boxing ring.
 

Care of youngsters assured – with previous experience provided

 
The club prides itself on its care of their young charges and she has already been prepared well as attending a show at a show in The Valleys, to watch Alex O’Sullivan, as she did when she also spent another day in Llanelli on a special course designed to give her that extra experience of being in a ring.
 
Amirah had the chance to box an exhibition contest but Mr Brockway decided her proposed opponent was not suitable and instead she took on a boy who was slightly smaller than she is, under close supervision of an experienced referee, and having seen the video I would be certain that she would have been a clear winner had it not been regarded as an ‘exhibition bout’
 

Already has the right place to display her medal!

 
But she did receive a very nice trophy and coincidentally, it already has an appropriate resting place because the McGeowns bought Graham’s former home, which had a specially-built feature where he could display his four World Kick Boxing belts.
 
So now her first medal is already hanging there, with plenty of room for more as she goes on!






 

Surprised her family with her total commitment

 


This first bout comes after two years of being a member of the club and benefitting from the expertise of a number of coaches in small group and one-on-one sessions -where at first she went because her twin brother Jack wanted to train and she wanted to go too.

 
“I took her along and thought she would soon get fed up of it,” said dad Martin, “but she took to it like a duck to water as she was shown how to use all the range of equipment on offer, and loved the friendly support from coaches and fellow trainers of all ages.

 
“Ask Amirah about the hardest part of training and she would quickly say it was the skipping module – but she is now beginning to get some rhythm into her rope work!












 

No pressure put on her to box

 
“As happens to all newcomers at the club it was simply fitness training and it wasn’t long before Amirah was attending up to four nights a week and wanted to try to be a boxer.
 
“It was totally her choice and since then she has shown a real talent, with her ability shown from her first short sparring sessions and working with gloves on against a coach using his hands as pads.”





 

And finally . . .

 

Amirah’s auntie is  Marquita Smith, who was a world kick boxing champions a while ago, and perhaps she has gained her skills there, with mum Bianca related to the well-known Moody family, originally of boxing fame in my home town of Pontypridd, who then came to be publicans in Haverfordwest.
 
And such is  her progress at the moment that at the club’s annual presentation evening, held recently, Amirah received the award for the ‘Most Promising Female Boxer!
 
Ask her if she has a favourite boxer and she would quickly nominate Tyson Fury, who she hoped to see on a family holiday in Thailand – but sadly he was locked away in training for a fight and his minders wouldn’t allow any contact with the former World Champion, so perhaps he missed out on meeting a future champion from Pembrokeshire!
 
Be that as it may, Amirah is looking forward to her first bout, especially after her exceptional start in her exhibition contest.
 
We at PembrokeshireSport.co.uk wish her every success and after watching how determined she is in a training session with the likes of Graham Brockway, Alex Ward, Will Lukins and the rest of the club’s coaches we can only look forward to watching her on the night!