Good luck to the 26 men and women from the home nations boxing in Saturday’s Commonwealth Games semi-finals in Birmingham.
For some the weekend ahead and the chance to win gold will transform their careers. For me it was the best and most impactful amateur experience I had. Winning gold in Edmonton at 17 years old, one of the youngest ever to achieve that, launched my career.
It was a different era. All four of my fights were shown by the BBC on terrestrial TV. It brought me to the attention of the public. I was only a kid. I had won the Ulster juvenile title a year earlier then went straight in and won the Ulster seniors at 16. These days you have to be 18 to make the seniors.
