Olympic champion packs a punch in this appealing read

EVERYONE KNOWS Katie Taylor; she probably couldn’t walk down any street in the country without being approached, multiple times. The nation stopped when the Bray woman fought for Olympic gold, and while it wasn’t quite Italia ‘90, it wasn’t far off.

When Taylor put that hefty chunk of gold around her neck in London in 2012 she wasn’t the first female boxer to do so. No, that honour went to an English fighter called Nicola Adams, who defeated Ren Cancan to become the first-ever female Olympic boxing champion.

While Taylor went on to struggle in her defence of the title four years later in Rio, Adams, despite a raft of injuries in the between years, had no such disappointment. The Leeds native was not only the first female Olympic champion, she was also the first to defend her crown.

So you are probably reading this thinking you should have heard more about her, know her story and lived her journey. Yes, she is British, but true Olympic greats from the other side of the Irish Sea tend to become household names here too: Redgrave, Christie, Hoy, Ennis, to name a few.

But it doesn’t feel like Adams caught the public attention in the same way.

Even in England it seems the likes of Ennis and Sam Quek propelled themselves into the nation’s living rooms with more vigour than the smiley

Adams.

Still, it doesn’t mean that you can’t put pen to paper and write about your life, just as Adams did in the latest book to be reviewed for this section:

‘Believe’.

If you sit down and read the 176-odd page memoir, you’ll probably be able to understand how others have garnered more attention.

It really is an excellent little read. Adams could produce a 350-page book of her life, she could tell the reader stories of every little scrape she got into, she could dwell on events more, but that would take away from the flow of this publication and it just wasn’t necessary.

She attacks her life story in a simple, uncomplicated way. Grandma or Grandpa could pick this up, just as easily as a fifth or sixth class child could, and get the same amount of enjoyment out of the read.

It’s as thorough a short book as you could find, and the reader really gets to know Adams. Her mother, her brother, you get to know them through her words, you gain an affinity for the whole family, and it’s a vital reminder that books don’t have to be complicated to hit the right notes.

She talks about her sexuality, about her rivalries, and her injuries, all in a candid manner.

Adams also has some kind words for Taylor, and for the Irish boxing set-up, in the early stages of this book. She talks about coming over here to compete, about how welcoming the Irish boxing community was and how much they helped her out.

So why would you pick up this, over the myriad of other titles available? Well, this is a double Olympic champion that talks and lives her life like a real human. She has good days, bad days and run of the mill days.

It’s a book that can appeal to everyone. Katie Taylor fans should definitely check this out to see how one of her contemporaries lives her life. Boxing fans couldn’t help but enjoy her story and determination to be the best she can be. The general sports book fan will get through it in maybe around the four-hour mark but won’t regret a minute spent.

DEAN GOODISON Visit The Book Centre on Wexford’s Main Street for the very best selection of sports books.