GIRL FIGHT

BOXING CLEVER | Becky is one of only a dozen girl boxers in the country

16 year old Becky Preest is one of only a dozen girl boxers in the country.

Inside Out finds out what life is like in the ring when opponents are very hard to come by.

Becky Preest is a quiet, rather shy 16 year old training to be a chef. But in her spare time, this retiring girl dons a pair of gloves, steps into the boxing ring and prepares to fight another female opponent.

Becky began boxing at the age of 12. She is now one of only a dozen girl boxers in the country and certainly the only female boxer to come out of the small village of Bream in the Forest of Dean.

Male dominated sport

Becky is well protected when she fights, but it doesn't stop the odd nose bleed

Bryan Higgs is Becky’s trainer and can vouch for her dedication to this male dominated sport.

"She trains and works hard, just as the boys do and she spars with the boys," says Brian.

Becky has been training harder in recent months, in preparation for her fight with Samantha Bowen from Wales. It has not only been hard work for Becky, but for Bryan too, who struggles to find her a fellow female opponent.

There are strict controls governing who can fight who. Girls of Becky’s age can only fight girls within 12 months of their own age and no more than three kilos heavier or lighter.

Few opponents

Becky is the only girl boxer to train at Bryan's gym

With so few girl boxers it is almost impossible to find an opponent who fits these guidelines, which is why Becky is preparing to fight Samantha for the third time.

Samantha has won the previous two fights and sadly defeats Becky for a third time. With no other opponent available it is difficult to keep girls like Becky motivated. The training is very hard, the level of fitness required is extremely high and it gets extremely frustrating if after all their training, they are unable to put their skills to the test in the ring.

Becky’s biggest supporters are her family and both her mum and dad are extremely proud of Becky’s dedication.

"I personally wouldn’t get into a ring in front of 300 people," says Becky’s dad.

Strict regulations

Becky puts in an excellent performance in the second round

With tight regulations, Becky’s mum is confident that her daughter is fighting in a safe environment.

"I really don’t mind her doing it because she is well protected," explains Becky’s mum.

But that still doesn’t stop her taking the odd knock.

"Sometimes the punches hurt, but it’s nothing serious," Becky assures us.

Her defeat to Samantha hits her hard, but Becky deals with the disappointment by focusing on her next fight, which unfortunately is against the victor once again.

The showdown

Samantha is declared the winner, but that will not deter Becky from trying again

Opponent Samantha is confident she can win in this their fourth meeting and coach Bryan is concerned about Becky.

"She hasn’t really got aggression, that’s what worries me about her," says Brian. "If she can get her head right she can do it."

The first round does not go Becky’s way, but she puts in a good performance in the second. Despite an excellent third round, Samantha wins for the fourth time, leaving Becky and her supporters seriously disappointed.

Not one to dwell, Becky will continue to train and the next time she meets Samantha in the ring she intends to beat her. The future for girls' boxing however, is a little harder to predict.

It’s a sport that is badly funded for boys, let alone girls, and there is still a resistance to girls fighting. But whilst there’s a gym to train in and opponents to fight Becky will continue to box.