🥊Kicking off a new chapter: My journey from Boxing to Kickboxing🥊

Hello and welcome back to my blog!

After taking a six-month break from writing, I’m amazed at how consistent I’ve been with it lately. I think it’s because I’m finally prioritising what really matters to me and it feels great!

I’m so excited that I’ve officially completed my Level 2 Counselling qualification! It’s been a journey over the past few months, especially after my dad being in hospital throughout the new year. I think it is safe to say it created some challenges for my family and prevented me from finishing it earlier. I just need to wait and see if I passed!

I can focus more on my blog and writing, something that makes me really happy! I’ve been thinking about taking a blogging or writing course in the future now my counselling one is over.

I have decided that today I am going to write about my transition from boxing to kickboxing, a shift that many people don’t realise is more difficult than it may seem! While both are similar, they are definitely not the same and have lots of differences!

I started boxing back in 2014 to get fit—that was my only real goal. I had no intention of competing or aiming for any titles. One day I was training and a coach asked if I was going to fight, of course being the mad crazy person that I am I said "Yeah why not". Boxing then became a part of my life, I never looked back. I’ve written a lot of blog posts about my boxing experiences, so check out my page to read them!

Competing in boxing felt like my calling in life. I loved the buzz, the training and the sparring. Although boxing is an individual sport, the club becomes like a family and you form a strong team. I’ve always had the “Go hard or go home” attitude—not just in the ring, but in life. I don’t do things by half, it’s all or nothing. While this mindset is good, it also has its negatives. I trained for 10 years and competed for about 4. Unfortunately, an injury cut it all short.

The injury happened during sparring. At the time, I didn’t think it was too serious, but a CT scan later revealed a small bleed on my brain. This meant I had to stop training for a year. Going from training 5 days a week to doing nothing was mentally and emotionally difficult. I had won the national title about 7 months before this and I was getting ready to up my training and move weight categories to go for more titles and trial to box for England!

I fell into a deep depression—didn’t want to leave the house, didn’t care about myself or my family. It was tough. I wanted to get back into training, but I couldn’t. The doctors wouldn’t even let me train and I hated it but knew if I didn't take the advice I could have really hurt myself. I tried to find other ways to fill the gap but unfortunately, there was nothing I could do. It was like going through a break up. My heart ached.

As time passed, I gained weight. It didn’t take long considering the drastic drop in training. Then, COVID hit, making everything ten times harder. I had to adjust to life "After boxing." I trained a few times post-COVID, but I wasn’t in the right place mentally. I was in a toxic relationship and a job I hated, which didn’t help at all. I lost sight of what was good in my life, the negative streak seemed to keep going.

I eventually made a change—I left my toxic relationship and switched jobs. I was ready to focus on myself again. I knew I had let myself go. I didn’t care about my weight, my health, or even my life at that point. I genuinely didn't want to be alive, I find that hard to type now because if I had ended it all then, I wouldn't have the blessings I have today.

It was a hard time. Stepping back into the gym after gaining weight was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done. If you’ve read my previous blogs, you know I lost 6.5 stone before I ever joined boxing, so putting all that weight back on was devastating but I knew I had to take the first step to turn my life around again. I was scared I would be judged, going from an athlete to just an overweight unhappy ex boxer hurt, A LOT. I had amazing friends and family who supported me through it all and I am forever grateful for them.

I think that people don't understand the impact of "after boxing" I think Prince Naseem is a good example of this, if you look at him now he is overweight and probably quite unhappy. People don't realise that boxing is quite literally some people's world and without it they feel worthless. You feel like you have lost a loved one, as silly as that may sound to some I know ex boxers will agree with me on that.

I started training on my own from home to start with, I just gave up whenever I felt tired. I could just go and sit in the living room or my bedroom, my heart wasn't in it. I then decided to go to private gyms, where I felt comfortable. I had the knowledge to train and use the equipment, so that wasn’t an issue. What I struggled with was fighting my own thoughts and battling body dysmorphia—the hardest fight of my life and I am still fighting it to this day.

Slowly, I found that training was helping my mental health. It didn’t solve everything, but it was a start. I realised it was time for change. Putting myself first has always been difficult because I tend to focus on helping other people. I think I lost myself trying to find others. I would put my whole life and soul into trying to "Fix" my relationship and my job when really it was just time to walk away - Always listen to your gut!

Eventually, I decided to try coaching. I had nothing to lose, and I wasn’t fit enough to train or fight. I was invited to several coaching courses but always chickened out because of anxiety. In May 2024, I took the plunge and attended a two-weekend course. It was intense but I learnt so much! It helped me build some confidence and speaking to new people (especially being the only woman there) was scary and out of my comfort zone big time but I was brave and I did it. I think deep down, I always knew I needed to do it, but the fear of taking that leap held me back.

After earning my Level 1 coaching license, I realised that group coaching wasn’t for me. It could have been because of my anxiety or just because it wasn’t the right fit, I’m not sure. After about a month, I decided to focus on one-on-one coaching, which felt much less intimidating. Maybe in the future, when my anxiety improves, I’ll go back to group coaching.

I’ve always been a learner, always eager to try new things. So, after deciding I wanted to get back into training, I faced a few challenges. I could train as an amateur, but there weren’t any girls with similar experience, or I could try to go pro, which wasn't really possible as I didn't have much fight experience. I explored a lot of options—train without competing, try something like karate, or get back into jiu-jitsu (which I didn’t enjoy much at 16). Kickboxing caught my eye, almost the same as boxing with a few kicks I thought..

I told myself if it didn’t work out, I’d try something else or I'd go into personal training or hyrox or something but it all fell into place. I fell in love with it, just like I did with boxing. It wasn’t easy at first—learning to kick after ten years of being taught not to take my feet off the floor was a huge challenge. I found the most supportive club and fighters, just genuinely nice people.

I've been Kickboxing almost 6 months now, it feels like I’ve been doing it for years! I still have a lot to learn, and I haven’t graded yet, but I’m staying consistent. I’m getting up and training instead of dwelling on the past. I miss boxing more than people might realise—it’s in my blood. Kickboxing feels like the closest I can get to that feeling right now so I will take it. It’s also been a chance to meet new girls and women and make new friends!

My ultimate goal is to fight again. I know it’s a long road, but consistency is key. I’m doing everything I can to lose weight and get back in the ring. I like to think of the little saying me and my dad used to use in boxing "We're not here to take part, we're here to take over" My mental health has improved significantly, with the right mindset, I believe I can accomplish anything.

I’m also managing PCOS and borderline diabetes. While I’m in remission from diabetes, PCOS is still a challenge. I’m not going to let it stop me, I don't go down without a fight!

I know what I want I’m determined to achieve it. Anyone who knows me well, knows I’m stubborn and nothing will get in my way. I have always been a believer in others and I just hope that anyone who is looking for a sign, this is it. Don't ever give up, tomorrow could be the best day of your life!

This journey is far from over. I’m excited about the future and can’t wait to share more of my story and successes soon!

Chloe x