Katie Taylor’s mother has revealed she was left heartbroken after the fighter decided to move to America.
The Bray boxer turned professional in 2016 after moving to Connecticut to work with coach Ross Enamait.
The pair have gone on to achieve incredible success, with Taylor now the undisputed lightweight champion and undefeated in her 20 pro fights.
But Bridget admits it was hard to say goodbye to her 2012 Olympic gold medallist daughter.
Speaking on Driving Force on ITV, she said: “It was really tough. It was a day I was dreading.
“I knew it was coming. I did travel over with her to get her settled in.
“I have to say I was heartbroken when I was leaving her and worried about her and just very concerned about her living in a different country surrounded by people she didn’t know and just leaving her on her own.”
But the matriarch joked her biggest concern was how Katie would cope in the kitchen. She said: “I think I was more concerned with her chopping her fingers off using a knife to cut up stuff for ingredients.
“I think she felt in the end that maybe the cooking end of things was a bit overrated so she was kind of ordering stuff in and maybe just making easy things for herself to eat.”
Katie explained why she opted for the move and credited social media for making it happen.
The star, 35, said: “I just wasn’t enjoying my sport. I needed a change.
“I actually got in touch with him through Twitter would you believe. Thank God for Twitter. He’s a strength and conditioning coach, a great boxing coach as well. I actually had all of his books in my house, even from a child, so in some sense Ross was always there I guess.
“Never in a million years did I think I would leave home to live in America.”
Katie also spoke about missing her family in Ireland.
She revealed: “I knew that Ross was the right man for the job.
“It was obviously really, really hard to leave my family behind. It’s definitely tough at times missing out on my nieces and nephews growing up.
“But after each fight I’m always home for two or three weeks and I just love that time with my family after each victory.”
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