AS A MOTHER, I’VE BECOME MENTALLY STRONGER
BOXER Charley Davison, 27, competes in the flyweight category. She lives in Lowestoft, Suffolk, with her partner Bruce, a restaurant owner, and their three children, Arnell, eight, Armani, six, and Amir, four. GROWING up, I dreamed of competing in the Olympics. It came from my dad: he never boxed himself, but we’d watch it on TV, without fail — and one day, he thought: ‘Let’s see if she’s got anything.’ And I did!
We’d play around in the dining room with massive adult gloves and pads, but when I tried to join my local boxing club, aged eight, I was told it was men only. Thankfully they changed their minds a year later and I went on to win four major national competitions during my teens. At 17, I met my partner, Bruce. Two years later, we had a baby. It was planned and I wasn’t sure if I’d want to return to boxing. In the end, I took seven years off, after having two more kids. Although I missed boxing, I loved being a mum. After having my youngest in 2017, my old coach offered to help me make a comeback. Initially, it was challenging juggling training with three kids. I think boxing’s harder than being a mum. So, when you combine the two, it’s crazy. It was hard to shift the weight. I had to work double time to catch up. I’m mentally stronger than before, though.
There are so many ups and downs with children, it makes you more resilient. They fuel my motivation — when I win a medal, I know it will set my family up for life. They drive me: when I’m in the ring I think about them.
This paid off in 2019, when I won the England Boxing National Amateur Championships which earnt me an assessment with GB Boxing. I was added to the GB Boxing squad in January 2020 then selected to go to the Olympic qualifier.
It was tough training four days a week at the GB Boxing gym in Sheffield but my coach said give it one last shot, otherwise you’ll wish you’d tried. Bruce was so supportive, going part-time at work to look after the kids. Without him, I couldn’t have done it.
During lockdown, I trained in the garden, while he helped with home schooling. When I had to isolate for two weeks, before qualifiers, he stopped working to do full-time childcare.
I’ll be gone for six weeks. He admits some days are tough: they do test you. But he enjoys it, and says he’d do it for ever if it means I could do what I love.
I do miss the kids — the little things like school runs and making dinner — but I’ve never
thought: I don’t want to do this. Training helps to distract me. And I’m grateful to be able to sleep when I want!
I do think that women can have it all. It annoys me when people say you can’t do this, or that, with kids. I have three, so you can definitely do it with one.
It’s all about balance. And how much you want it.