If Katie Taylor identifies you as one to watch, then that’s a boxer worth paying attention to.
That’s the position German fighter Sophie Alisch finds herself in. Aged just 21, the boxer already has a perfect pro record of eight wins in eight fights and is earning plaudits all across the globe.
Taylor is just one of those excited by Alisch’s potential. The two-weight world champion knows a thing or two about the sport after all and, as she has been to so many sportswomen, she’s more than a role model to Alisch too.
As the old adage goes - never meet your heroes. That’s not the case here. Alisch was fortunate enough to meet Taylor and the Irish legend took her aside to reiterate how much of a fan she is of the young German who has the boxing world at her feet.
“I always said my big idol is Katie Taylor and I’m always looking up to her,” Alisch told Mirror Sport . “I also want to do this for women’s boxing and to encourage more girls to take part in the sport and be a role model. That’s a real driving factor.”
She continued: “She’s more than a role model, she’s an inspiration. I met her at an event in the UK and I was so speechless when I saw her. It was a great experience and great memories and really nice to talk with her privately and to talk with her about boxing.”
That personal touch is also what makes Taylor special, as she explained to Sophie in their chat about the highs and lows of boxing and how every fighter can experience them. Something like that goes a long way in motivating a young prospect.
“She also said keep pushing, have fun and you’ll see what opportunities come,” Alisch added.
"I don't feel any pressure"
Alisch’s journey into boxing is a unique one, and there’s every chance in a parallel universe somewhere that she might be playing tennis instead.
When she was young her family were living in Austria and Alisch was part of the Austrian national youth setup. Her tennis trainer had wanted her to try dancing or boxing to help supplement her training and - probably inadvertently - that introduction to the sport came about.
Very quickly Alisch decided boxing was actually the sport for her at 13 and her progress skyrocketed from then winning her first title six months into her amateur career. Before long she was nominated as Prospect of the Year by the WBC, in her first year as a pro in 2018, and again the year after.
With that potential comes expectation and, you would think, pressure. But Alisch is made of different stuff.
“I don’t have a problem with it - I don’t feel any pressure,” she said. “It’s the exact opposite, it’s something I look forward to and it’s a drive. I use it as something to fire me on and not to be scared of.”
She added: “I’m really lucky that I’m in this position to do what I love. I’m here where others want to holiday, and I can train here to do my job, to do my Instagram business or my boxing business.
“I’m really happy to do this job and I also want to see the results in the fight and keep developing and keep learning. With my father we have a strict training plan and everything is working fine and it’s not really pressure.”
“If I had to do everything myself I would have run away by now”
Alisch, who has recently partnered with Performance Lab, has seen her life change monumentally in the last few months. Having previously lived with her family in an inner-city Berlin apartment, she now lives in Mallorca - her close-knit family network all making the move with her.
That change is solely with her career in mind, enabling her to have a gym setup at home as well as a more holistic approach to warm weather training all year round.
“It’s really great,” Alisch said on her Spanish move. “You have the best opportunities here to train always under the sun. I have my little home gym here with my heavy bag and can work the boxing.
“When it comes to athletic programmes I also have my gym here. I’m here with my family and all together we’re really happy that we moved to Spain. It’s the best training opportunity.”
Alisch’s family are clearly a big part of her life and, alongside coach Andy Schiemann, form a significant part of her support network. Her athletic coach Gregor Haslberger, who also trained the likes of F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, is also a key part of her success with the boxer following a strict training regime based on his requirements.
But it is essentially a family business designed to support the fighter and make sure she is fulfilled. For the family, while winning is great, happiness and fulfilment should come before all else.
“Of course there are some days where I don’t want to get out of bed and don’t want to train,” Alisch said.
“I’m really happy that I have my dad by my side. He pushes me to keep training and also when the training is not good he’s there to say the next day will be better. Without him I’d still be lying in bed and I wouldn’t be at the point I am now. Dad is a really important person in my life.”
As well as her dad, and his work with sponsors and her social media, her mum cooks to help her follow her strict nutrition plan and her sister helps with her social media activity.
“If I had to do everything myself I would have run away by now!” Alisch admits.
“I’ve definitely noticed a change over my career so far"
With news of Alisch’s next fight expected in the near future, it’s a testament to how much women’s boxing has grown in recent years - not just in the UK but across the world.
Taylor is one pivotal name in all of that but with stars like Amanda Serrano - who has recently set up a rematch with the Irish fighter - and Claressa Shields making their own waves the momentum is gathering. Alisch is young enough to fully ride that wave, but she still remembers a time when attitudes were very different.
“I’ve definitely noticed a change over my career so far,” she said. “More people are watching women’s boxing, more people are following and being involved in the conversation so it’s definitely something I’ve noticed.”
With that increased coverage also comes the opportunity to be a role model for others, and while title ambitions are one thing, that’s arguably the greatest privilege for a fighter like Alisch.
“Sometimes it feels unreal that I’m getting these,” she said, referencing messages she gets on social media from fans. “I’m still young but it’s really cool. I’m honoured to receive such messages.”
- Performance Lab has partnered with Sophie Alisch as her official Nootropics provider. Designed to aid recovery and cognitive ability, Performance Lab’s products contribute to a healthier brain. Check them out here: https://www.performancelab.com/
