SHINING STAR
Teenager has turned her life around
A Hamilton boxer has been described as a “shining star” after turning her life around to represent Team GB at World Youth Championships in India.
Vicky Glover heads for Guwahati in India on November 12, to take part in the AIBA Women’s Youth World Championships, which runs from 19-26th of the month.
It’s a far cry from the path the 18-yearold was on just over a year ago, when she was convicted of assault and given a community payback order of 200 hours.
Vicky had just won the British Championship title but lacked focus, and coach Stephen Forsyth, of Forsyth’s Boxing Club in Hillhouse Industrial Estate, helped to get her back on track.
Stephen said: “Vicky had been in trouble and had gone off the rails a wee bit, and was in the papers for all the wrong reasons. She was up for assault and ended up with a community payback order, so it was a case of getting her back in the gym and getting her focused.
“She won the British Championship last year, but the season was finishing and she wasn’t putting 100 per cent in, and then we heard that she was in trouble. She had fell in with the wrong crowd.
“Vicky is a good boxer, she’s very talented, and one of the best women I’ve ever seen. I don’t think anybody in Scotland would beat her – she has all the attributes, it’s about focusing that in a positive way. It’s all about channelling all that pent-up aggression, so I’m glad she is now getting recognition.
“We had her down at a Team GB assessment squad in Sheffield, and when we got back home I got a call saying they thought she had a good chance of representing her country.
“She got accepted to go to India with Team GB and is one of only two Scots.
“We think there is a chance that she could be selected for the Commonwealth Games next year, which would be amazing.
“She’s in training all the time but we’re not looking past the World Championships just now.
“I hope she can do well there, which would be great for her, the club, and for Boxing Scotland.”
Stephen added: “Vicky has moved closer to the gym, to Burnbank, to get away from the trouble. She is more open about talking about everything that happened, and is now 100 per cent focused.
“It’s amazing, it’s a big thing to be representing Team GB, but she has done all the hard work herself. She’s a shining star. It makes all the long nights worthwhile when you see results like these.”