MUM BOXES CLEVER TO BECOME WORLD CHAMPION
Lindsey swapped party nights for martial arts bouts – and even trained the night before she gave birth to her daughter
ASELF-CONFESSED party lover gave up nights out for martial arts training – and is now a world champion. Mum Lindsey Edwards, 37, only started Muay Thai boxing just after she turned 30 and it has totally transformed her life.
Muay Thai is a martial art developed in Thailand. It is similar to normal boxing except blows may be struck with the fists, elbows, knees, and shins.
She beat Dublin-born champion fighter Andree Warbrick at Bristol’s Patchway Sports Centre to win the Muay Thai WRSA Bantamweight Pro K1 title last month.
It was the latest highlight of an interesting journey for Lindsey – and a far cry from her first fight, where she admits she took “a bit of a pasting”.
“I just started at a women’s fitness class because I used to drink and party a lot,” said Lindsey.
“As soon as I started that I loved it and asked if could go into the fighters’ class which is mostly men. Then I fell pregnant with Gracie-Rae.”
She believes having her daughter and starting boxing changed her outlook on life.
“I didn’t do anything before. I did a bit of gymnastics in school but was out partying Friday, Saturday and Sunday before Gracie.
“After I had given birth I trained with the men.
“I was quite nervous to start with and used to get a girl to go with me. I would make her wait outside so I could walk in with her.
“It was a big step up from what I was doing – then the sparring started.”
These nerves didn’t last long and Lindsey became an obsessive trainer. Somehow she manages to balance it with her job as a supervisor in an office and being a single mum.
“I only have rest days on a Friday,” she said. “I train six days a week – two sessions a day.
“I work 8am until 2pm in the office, train straight after work, then pick up Gracie from school.
“What I have to do some nights is we sleep at my mum and dad’s so Gracie can go to bed there. I live out of bags sometimes.”
She is so dedicated that she actually trained the night before she gave birth.
Lindsey said sparring with the men gives her an edge when it comes to stepping into the ring.
“I have always sparred with men and they don’t take it easier on me,” she said.
“Sometimes I go down to Cardiff and spar with my friend Tania, who is the number two in the UK.
“I like to spar with men because they land big heavy shots so I don’t feel it when I fight.”
Despite this her first fight didn’t go very well.
“I had my first fight in December 2012,” she said.
“I just wanted one for experience. I had three weeks’ notice, fought a girl, and lost quite badly – I had a bit of a pasting. She was just short of six foot.
“I went straight back into training and had to nag my coach for another chance. My coach said most people would have had enough after that fight.”
The dedication has paid off and over the next five years she had 13 fights, becoming Southern Area Featherweight Champion, Southern Area Super Featherweight Champion, Welsh 60kg Champion, British Featherweight Champion, and Commonwealth Super Bantamweight Champion, with a record of nine wins and four losses.
Every fight she takes part in is dedicated to her daughter Gracie-Rae, six, who was ecstatic with her mum’s latest win.
Lindsey, from Blaenau Gwent, said: “She ran into school the other day and told everyone.
“I dedicate every single fight to Gracie, who now trains in the kids’ class. “She actually watched me spar the other day and was a bit upset because one of the boys kicked me quite heavily.”
Many fighters have a nickname and Lindsey is no exception.
Her moniker of Lindsey ‘Stingrae’ Edwards comes from a middle name she nearly had.
“It is just because my mum was going to have my middle name as Rae when I was born but then decided against it.
“That’s why I named my child Gracie-Rae but the majority of my friends have always called me Rae.
“Then when the fighting started I think someone said Stingrae in the gym as a joke a good few years ago because of the sting in my punches and it just stuck – silly really!”
Now she is a world champion Lindsey, who will celebrate her 38th birthday in coming weeks, has set her sights on moving up the rankings.
She said: “I have been in fight training since last June. At the moment I am having few weeks to give my body a bit of a rest.
“The next stage is to get into the top three in the UK rankings – I am five at the moment and my best friend is number two.”