GOLDEN GREATS RETURN
Tears at airport for victorious fighters
It is a lonely road, there are so many times that I’ve wanted to give up
HUGE crowds turned out to welcome Ireland’s new boxing golden girls home yesterday after their historic wins in Istanbul.
Amy Broadhurst and Lisa O’rourke met with a hero’s welcome in Dublin airport yesterday after winning gold at the world championships.
The fighters were filled with tears of joy as they ran into the arms of family and friends after touching down.
The victorious pair said they were delighted to be back in Ireland after triumphing at the Women’s World Elite Boxing Championship in Turkey.
Broadhurst, 25, from Dundalk, claimed the light welterweight decider against Imane Khelif of Algeria.
While O’rourke, 20, from Roscommon won the 70kg final against Helena Alcinda Panguana.
Amy told the Sunday Mirror she was looking forward to a takeaway after a gruelling few months away. She laughed: “I’m going home to have a Chinese, I can’t wait.
“The first thing I want to do though is sleep.
“It’s been a very long couple of months being in America and then I was in Romania, Italy and Turkey, so I haven’t had a minute, so I want to go and relax and take it all in.”
Amy said her training has been tough, admitting she had “failed” many times.
She added: “It is a lonely road, there have been so many times that I’ve wanted to give up and I had my family behind telling me to keep going,”
Pointing to her gold medal, she said: “This, this has kept me going, achieving such big things like this has kept me going because I always knew I was made for this.
“I have been boxing since I was five years old, and I’ve failed, and I’ve failed, and I’ve failed and it’s just after happening for me.
“I sat and I thought, you know what, all the ups and downs, it’s all been worth it when you’re getting a world gold medal around your neck.”
The girls are following in the footsteps of Olympic and world champions Katie Taylor and Kellie Harrington. Taylor phoned them to congratulate them on their successes. Lisa said: “I was speechless
AMY BROADHURST ON HER JOURNEY TO BOXING VICTORY hearing her voice on the phone. Katie [Taylor] and Kellie [Harrington] are people to look up to.
“Every girl in boxing looks up to them. I’m just so delighted to be home and the reception has been amazing. I’m so happy to see everyone it has been so tough.”
Amy’s aunt Geraldine said: “We are ecstatic. These girls have worked so hard. They have trained so hard for this, worked so hard for this and thoroughly deserve it.
“This is Amy’s dream come true and it came true in the end. My sister Sheila and her father Tony travelled with her and we wanted to be here to meet them all.
“It’s such a proud moment, she is a strong Louth woman, we came up to see her and meet her.”
Geraldine was with Amy’s grandfather Paddy Sands, 86, was also at the airport to meet her saying he was “overcome with pride”.
Geraldine said Katie Taylor inspired Amy after asking her to spar with her in the US.
She also said hopes were high Broadhurst would spar with Taylor again if the
re-match against Amanda Serrano goes ahead in Croke Park. She added: “I think when she went to spar with Katie Taylor that boosted her confidence. She had two attempts at the world championships and didn’t get it. You have to fail to learn. The mistakes, you learn from them. “Katie requested Amy go over to the US to spar with her in preparation for her Madison Square garden fight. “That definitely helped her. “And if the rematch goes ahead in Croke Park, Katie wants Amy to spar with her again. “We are just so proud for both of the girls.”