Teenager Chloe Bayliss says boxing has helped get her life in order - and her mum’s given it the thumbs up, too.
Bayliss, 14, is set to compete on this Sunday’s Kent Charity Boxing show at the Lordswood Leisure Centre in what will be her second bout.
The Chatham youngster only started boxing in April with the KCB team at Kent Gloves in Gillingham but has quickly discovered the benefits.
She said: “I have had anxiety issues in the past and anger issues and my mum suggested it. I love it there, it’s amazing.
“It is something I can knuckle down and focus on and it has helped me so much.
“I used to struggle with going to school and getting my stuff sorted out but this is something to focus on and the fact that it is for charity as well, it adds to it.”
Kent Charity Boxing are raising funds for a young girl with a rare heart and lung condition. Boxers on their shows benefit from free initial training, taking in anybody who fancies the challenge, including complete beginners.
Bayliss admitted she was nervous when she first got in the ring, saying: “I was terrified but once I got in there with the adrenaline and everything, it was amazing.
“I have trained so hard for this fight, I have been doing one-to-ones, training outside the gym and I think I am ready for it.”
Her mum, Sam, admits watching her daughter fight can be a challenge but has seen the benefits since she joined the gym.
She said. “They are so nice there, really supportive, friendly and welcoming. I couldn’t have asked for a better club for her to go into, to feel at home in and to go and talk to people, really good.
“From a parents’ point of view, you are always nervous, it is a contact sport, but having witnessed the training sessions and how strict and regimented they are, I am quite happy.
“I can’t always watch her fight, sometimes I have to walk out but that is natural, to be protective, but she is doing really well, enjoying it and it has helped her so much.
“She wanted to do it and I said ‘okay, let’s do the training’ but she said ‘no, I want to fight!’. We had a chat about it and I said that as long as it’s done properly and the people are good, I haven’t got a problem with it.”
Commenting on the gym she’s at, Chloe added: “It is amazing there, it is not really a club, it’s more like a family.”
Tickets for the latest event, which is backed by sponsors Sheregill Real Estate and All Floors Trade Centre, can be purchased online through the KCB facebook site, costing from £25 for standing. Doors open at 5pm.
