One was a former police firearms officer, the other a teenager dreaming of following in her big brother’s footsteps – now both are gunning for Gold in Rio.
Lisa Whiteside and Sandy Ryan are not related by blood but they are certainly are by their love of boxing and determination to succeed.
Both are British champions, both are full time members of the GB Boxing squad hoping to qualify for Rio and then target Gold medals.
For most the prospect of qualifying and competing would be more than enough to deal with – but until not that long ago 30-year-old Lisa Whiteside was forced to juggle her sport with a full time job as a police officer.
Worlds
She explained: “It was really hard. I actually medalled at the Worlds and the Europeans whilst being a full time police officer.
“I used to box at 57kgs and went to the Europeans and missed out on the Gold by a point, then went to the Worlds which was the last qualifier for the last Olympics and had to build myself up for those tournaments like a full time athlete whilst working shifts.
“If I worked a night shift, I would come home, do my run before I went to bed then get up and go training. It was hard to work out you’re eating habits and things like that, it was difficult at times, shattering as well but I did and enjoyed it back then.
“What it did do, is when I got my opportunity to come on GB Boxing full time, was appreciate rest , appreciate time off because my rest was working so it is a lot better now, definitely.
“I was envious of the other boxers sometimes, definitely. Especially as I went away with the girls from GB for the Worlds which was the Olympic Qualifier, I medalled like some of the others with Bronze, Savannah who was World Champion and on the flight home they were getting ready for a week off and I was doing my night shift the next day. It definitely gave me that fire in my belly.”
Contenders
Whiteside and her younger teammate Ryan are very much the real deal and have every right to genuinely consider themselves medal contenders for Rio 2016.
The biggest hurdle for Whiteside to overcome however stares her in the face every day in training; Nicola Adams, the Golden Girl of Team GB and British Boxing.
Adams created history as she became the first every woman to win an Olympic medal for boxing at London 2012 and since then the awards and titles have continued to flow in her direction.
With only place up for grabs in the Flyweight Division two must become one and Whiteside is desperate to prove she should get the nod to Brazil.
She added: “I would absolutely love a box-off with Nicola Adams because it should have happened at the ABAs but unfortunately didn’t.”
“That is something I would actually like to occur. If it happens is another story.
“It is a difficult one. For selection process it is down to the head coaches and Rob McCracken and down to international performances mainly.”
Lisa and Sandy spoke to Onside PR on behalf of PharmaNutricals, the UK’s fastest growing brand of sports supplements, nutrition partners to GB Boxing.
To read the full interview with the brilliant boxing pair log onto the PharmaNutricals website by clicking the link below.
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