Born again

Glynn was devastated after missing out on the Commonwealth Games but it resulted in an even greater desire to reach the top

REWIND two years and Elise Glynn was at the crossroads. Sameenah Toussaint was picked ahead of her for the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham after outpointing her in the last eight of the National Amateur Championships, leaving her devastated.

The Great Britain coaches gave Glynn a choice between training by herself at home – or “coming up to Sheffield to prove yourself.”

Glynn didn’t think twice. “Not getting selected for the Commonwealth Games made me want to prove myself,” said the 22-yearold from Solihull.

“I was offered the chance to train up in Sheffield and I snatched it with both hands. I worked Thursday to Sunday doing three part-time jobs to fund my travelling and nutrition. I worked as a waitress, a bar lady and an exhibitors’ helper at the NEC.

“(Great Britain High Performance coach) Rob (Mccracken) said: ‘We can see it in you,’ put me on the Podium squad and believed in me. I have definitely improved since I joined GB. They have seen a difference in me every week and now I’m the No 1 at 57kgs.

“I have proved my point. I have always had the attitude that whenever I have a setback, I come back stronger.”

The latest setback came at the European Games where Glynn was edged out on a desperately tight split verdict by European and World Champion Irma Testa, her third loss to the Italian.

This time, Glynn thought she had done enough, but the 3-2 split decision went against her. “I thought I was unlucky,” she said, “and so did the coaches.”

Glynn put that behind her to win gold at the World Boxing Cup: Cologne Open and followed that with silver at the English Institute of Sport in January, after a competitive points loss to Maude van der Toorn (Holland) in the final.

Glynn goes into the World Qualifier in confident mood after the week-long training camp in Italy earlier this month.

“I had four gym bouts and (coach) Lee Pullen thought I won all four,” she said. “One of the bouts was against a girl who has already qualified.

“I’m confident in my ability, but I like to have an underdog mentality. I’m always thinking I’m not that good because I always want to put a bit extra into training.”

Keeping a close eye on her training is her father, Pete. He has been her coach from the start and may have been surprised that it was his daughter rather than one of his two sons he turned out to be the fighter in the family.

“I stopped seeing my mum at eight and my dad was a single parent,” she said. “I wanted to go to the gym and my dad couldn’t leave my two brothers at home on their own, so they came along as well. They had a few fights, but it wasn’t for them.”

Elise stuck at it and is aiming high.

“I want to go all the way,” she said. “I’m only 22 and I know I can do it.”