SHAUNA-LEIGH’S GOLD
HETTON 17-YEAR-OLD SEALS SUCCESS IN SWEDEN – IN HER FIRST INTERNATIONAL EVENT
Talented Hetton prospect Shauna-Leigh Taylor is celebrating with a gold medal from her first ever international bout.
The 17-year-old, who studies and trains at East Durham College in Peterlee, took part in The Golden Girl Championship in Boras Sweden, as a member of the Tyne Tees and Wear boxing team, and she secured the 51kg title.
The Wearsider, who studies on a Level 3 Sports Development, Coaching and Fitness course at the college, took on an opponent from Ireland in a 4-round bout to claim the medal by a unanimous point decision.
Shauna said: “I was a bit worried about fighting overseas for the first time, and the travel and food, but everything was fantastic.
“Despite having to lose a kilo, I felt mega fit and in great shape.
“It was great to fight someone from another country for the first time as it has helped me learn how to deal with a different fighting style.”
Shauna now has a very busy couple of months that could see her really burst on to the female boxing scene.
Firstly, she has been selected to compete in the England Boxing Youth Championships, which start tomorrow and continue over the weekend at Magna Centre near Sheffield.
She has also been identified as part of the England ABA Talent Development squad and invited to the selection camp later this month to try out for the team to go to the EUBC European Women Youth and Junior Championships, being held in Turkey in September.
Finally, she has also been picked for a selection camp to see if she qualifies to represent England in the Youth Commonwealth Games, which will be staged in the Bahamas this summer.
As well as her studies at the college, Shauna is part of the college’s highly successful elite boxing scholarship programme, run by highly-respected boxing coach David Binns.
Binns said: “Shauna has shown a great application to her boxing and training.
“Her work in the gym has been first-class, and, given her height and style, she has the makings of a really silky fighter.
“If she wins down at Sheffield this weekend, the world should really open up for her.
“It’s an amazing opportunity for her.”
Anyone wanting information on sports courses and sports scholarships at East Durham College,should visit www.eastdurham.ac.uk or call their student services team on 0191 518 8222.