Local boxing clubs expecting spike in applications for membership in wake of Kellie Harrington's Olympic heroics

Meath boxing clubs are expecting a rush to the ring from local kids inspired by Kellie Harrington's heroics in Paris on Tuesday night where she won back-to-back gold medals at the Olympic Games.

The Dubliner became the first Irish woman to win medals at successive Olympic Games when she recorded a resounding victory over China’s Wenlu Yang in the women’s 60kg final.

And her inspirational performances and pride looks set to have a positive knock-on effect at the grassroots of the sport.

Des Donnelly, secretary, co-founder and coach from Ashbourne Boxing Club told the Meath Chronicle:

"After the London Olympics we had an influx here of kids joining and I’m presuming the same thing is going to happen come September.

"We have over 30 members and unfortunately, the way we are fixed, we don’t have that much room left.

"We have to do two sessions a night because we don’t have the room.

"The age ranges from ages nine years of age to 18/19.

"We have already had an impact, even over these past couple of months for July and August we have had phone calls for people wanting to join, parents phoning us to try and get their kids into the club.

"We have a waiting list which is unfortunate as we can’t get anywhere around that would be big enough and cheap enough rent wise. The premises are very, very expensive to rent.

"Indeed, it will be a huge inspiration. Jenny Lehane was up visiting us before she went to the Olympics, the younger kids as well were delighted. (Jennifer bowed out of the Olympics after defeat to China's Yuan Chang in their 54kg bantamweight round of 16 clash.) They were getting her autograph and one or two of them were asking can we invite her back to look at her medal.

"I know the work that these high performance athletes put in. I’ve worked with them myself over the years and there is sacrifice and the work that they put in the fact that she qualified for a second Olympics is terrific in itself because its very hard to qualify to go through the qualifying process is very difficult and the fact that she got there for a second Olympics was an achievement in itself but to come back defending her Olympic title was absolutely brilliant. It's fantastic.

"Last night we changed our time for training so that everybody would be back to see her fight. All the lads were wanting to get home anyway to watch it. I know one or two of them there will take inspiration from it, hopefully a lot of them will and go forward from this on.

"Hopefully now it will put boxing back on the stage again, there has been a lot of controversy regarding boxing at international level and hopefully this will put it back on the stage again in a more positive light."

Eamonn Gilligan, founder and president of Dunboyne Boxing Club said:

"We have over 60 members in the club.

"We have already a waiting list to get into the club. We also run an underage program for the kids that are underage, so they get an opportunity of development of skills and enjoyment. When the schools go back in September we open that back so they get an opportunity of seeing and enjoying that side and playful side and sportful side of boxing and learning the skills of athletic boxing that we call it now.

"You find that after every Olympic games even after when Kellie won her first Olympic medal you have a huge intake and parents taking interest, and kids mentioning it to their parents that they want to start. A lot of kids come and have a go and see if they like it.

"We have a very strong girls team, in our section we probably would be one of the leading clubs in girls we probably have a half dozen girls 6/7 that are competing at national level and represented Ireland and the European championships. A lot of girls would come from far and wide.

"There is a great interest and hard work and it’s a sport that demands a lot of attention. It’s a certain lifestyle to obtain to. The standard of Irish boxing and at juvenile level is extremely good. Unless your very dedicated to the sport success, you have to be patient, and it takes years to get up to the high standard.

"We have kids that don’t compete. With mental health issues there is so much that you see what social media is doing to kids and putting them under so much pressure that boxing is a great outlet because we have a very strict rule on everybody and there is a great atmosphere in the gym and everyone works together and we have a very much anti bullying policy. It’s a very safe environment and you think it would be the last place.

"You certainly will see an influx in people’s interest in boxing. A lot of people look at the glamour side of it, it doesn’t matter if its wet raining or cold, you have to make your training session. It’s very demanding. Its like everything in life there’s no short cuts.

"There is a lot of life skills to be learned from it. Any of the sponsors from local businesses love what we are doing because all the good habits that they’re looking for in the workforce, they learn them very early in life through sports like boxing.

"We have had kids that came into us and they’d be probably going down the wrong road and abusing substances or spending too long on the computer and then they find they get the confidence in themselves, there more courageous when they believe in themselves.

"We don’t do enough for kids with low self esteem and it holds a lot of kids back for a long time until there much older.

"I remember Kellie starting off. It’s a very close boxing community because everybody knows everybody. Kellie had huge ambition without expressing it.

"She’s an example to everyone. The belief deep down that she had that ambition and she wasn’t prepared to take no for an answer.

"She is a huge role model. It would help a lot of young people to give them an insight into what can be achieved when you put your mind to it.

"Success can come at different stages.

"We have a lot of people that are very good but don’t want compete but just want to be apart of it. But they still get so much out of it and become good coaches and become good citizens and become successful in other parts of their life.

"Once they come and work hard and enjoy it.