How did you get into boxing?

My older brothers, one six years older than me, one two years older than him, were both into boxing, so I followed them into it. We lived in London at the time, near a great club called the Repton Boxing Club. It had about five or six coaches, one for each group of lads.

I was going to the gym since I could walk but I started proper training when I was eight. They started us off with basic training, because it’s very important to learn the proper techniques from a young age.

At the start, it was just two nights a week but by the time I was twelve or thirteen I was in the gym practically every day – all the time.

When did you suspect you had a real talent for this?

I was always the top lad in competitions and I won a lot of national titles from an early age. You need a lot of luck as well. I know a lot of lads who started out with me and they’re not doing it now.

What’s your training regime like?

I’m training at the National Stadium at the moment, six days a week, four hours a day. On one morning, we’ll have a weight session from 11 o’clock – each of the lads are on different weights – and the next day we’ll do running in the morning. Then we’ll rest and at 5 o’clock start boxing training – sparring and using the bags.

The sponsorship from the Sports Council is a big help. It’s not a fortune, but it helps us survive doing something we love.

What are your plans for a career after boxing?

I would definitely think about going into further education. Boxing’s not going to last forever, I need to carve out a career for myself. I would consider coaching, but as there is only one national coach, I’m not sure if I could make a career out of it. But coaching is definitely something I’d be interested in staying with. It’s about giving something back and I’d like to maybe help out around Castlecomer, where I live.