Swindon fighter Bec Connolly aims to inspire next generation of female fighters at Fight Town I

AS SWINDON’S only professional female boxer, Bec Connolly understands the pressure on her shoulders.

But she says she will give everything to represent the sport properly at next month’s Fight Town I show at the Oasis Leisure Centre.

Connolly is due to fight Lana Cooper on the Neilson Boxing-promoted show on April 27, where she will hope to improve on her record of one win and four defeats in her fledgling pro career.

The super-featherweight is hoping movements such as ‘This Girl Can’ and Nike’s ‘Dream Crazier’ advert will push more women to take part in sport as the 34-year-old aims to inspire the next generation of female boxers.

‘Lady Luck’ – Connolly’s boxing alias – is aware fight fans will likely remember her fight among the countless others and wants to see the number of prospective stars continue to increase at Paddy Fitzpatrick’s Ferndale Road gym.

Connolly said: “I want to be a good representative of the female fight population because, in Swindon, there is only me, so girls are going to look at me to set the standard.

“We’ve got an amateur team and we’ve got so many girls coming through the door at the moment.

“We’ve been trialling me sparring with them all and trying to build their confidence.

“We’re getting more and more girls come in every week, so things are going in the right direction.

“The pressure is on me as the only female fighter because I’m representing female fighting when people come in to watch.

“They obviously have fighters that they came in to see and if they’re going to remember one other fight other than their one, it’s going to be the odd one out, which is me.

“I stand out, so pressure is there to make sure I represent women well.”

Connolly says she learned a lot from her four losses last year and especially her most recent defeat to Scottish champion Elaine Greenan – a fight that could have gone either way, according to ‘Lady Luck.’

She said: “I’m in a really good place right now.

“I’m so confident, especially after the last one.

“We re-watched that fight and there was nothing in it at all, so I know I belong at that level.”