CARLY McNaul has never done things the easy way – and the next chapter in a colourful career could provide the biggest challenge yet.
Where most boxers move upwards if they change weight, the 32-year-old continues to buck that trend, with the east Belfast woman set to campaign at her lowest weight yet in a bid to reach a second successive Commonwealth Games.
Once an Ulster champion at 70kg, new weight limits introduced for Birmingham 2022 saw McNaul – a 2018 silver medallist in Australia at 52kg – forced to choose whether to try and book her spot at 50kg or 57kg.
With Tokyo Olympian Michaela Walsh and two-time Commonwealth Games finalist Michaela Walsh sure to be among the favourites for gold at 57kg this summer, moving up to featherweight was never a realistic possibility for McNaul – especially at such short notice.
And so the Ormeau Road fighter will drop down once again, pitting herself against Immaculata’s Caitlin Fryers for the 50 kilo spot when trials take place at the Ulster High Performance unit in Jordanstown later this month.
“I honestly don’t know how I’ll get to 50, but I said I’ll do it, no matter what, and I will.
“I’ve done things back to front, most people go up the weights as they get older. I honestly thought the old 51 weight category would be my absolute limit, when they put it up to 52 I was delighted - now it’s down to 50.
“Moving up to 57 though, it’s too much of a gap. I would need to have taken that decision a long time before now so I could build myself up. Although I come down from about 60 kilo to make 52, building into being a proper 57 fighter is a different ball game. I wouldn’t have had enough time, there would be no point. It wasn’t an option.
“A lot of people probably thought that was me done when they heard about the new weights, but it’s not in me to do that. I have an under-active thyroid, which makes things harder too – I look at food and weight goes on me! So you have to be more careful about making sure you stay healthy and avoid picking up injuries
“But I’ll get there, I know I will. Once I get to the weight, everything else will fall into place, I know it will.”
And McNaul takes encouragement from how comfortably she made the 52kg limit at the recent Strandja tournament in Bulgaria.
“I was still eating three meals a day and I was fully hydrated.
“Saying all that, I’m constantly training in my sweatsuit, constantly doing extra sessions, so I am putting in the extra work to get it off, but I’m still eating.
“Where before I would’ve done these diets where I maybe wasn’t eating for days… it was madness. I don’t know where I found the energy to fight.”
Having been relatively inactive in recent years due to Covid, McNaul looked sharp as a tack in both bouts in Sofia, coming on strong to defeat Kazakhstan’s highly-rated Zhaina Shekerbekova in her first bout before being edged out by Ukraine’s experienced Tetyana Kob.
Despite her ‘wrecking ball’ McNaul moniker, she has also demonstrated a new-found patience and punch picking prowess that wasn’t always part of the armoury.
“I’ve found out now I actually have a boxing brain. I’m thinking about my shots. I used to just fight on emotion and heart, now I can box both ways, which that makes me a more difficult opponent.
“People look at me and think ‘you’re 32, you haven’t much time left’. But I don’t feel like my age is getting in the way. I feel like I’m getting better. I showed everyone over in Strandja that I still have the engine, and I can dig deep when I need to dig deep.
“The last couple of years, I’ve really believed in myself, that I actually can do this if I’m totally committed. Even my life outside of boxing, I’m so much more focused and professional than I’ve ever been.
“I know I haven’t got loads of time left, realistically, so I have to put everything into while I can.”
*************************
FOUR IRISH IN FRAME FOR GOLD AT EUROPEAN U22S
BANGOR’S Dylan Eagleson will be bringing home bronze from the European U22 Championships – but four Irish boxers are still in the mix for gold in the coming days.
Bantamweight Niamh Fay (Phoenix), Lisa O’Rourke and Aoibhe Carabine are all in final action in Croatia today, with heavyweight hope Jack Marley eyeing up a podium-topping finish tomorrow.
Former European youth champion Fay faces Sharon Prisco of Italy this evening, in the same session as middleweight Carabine (Geesala) takes Ukrainian Karolina Makhno. Earlier today, Ireland co-captain O’Rourke - sister of Tokyo Olympian Aoife – goes toe-to-toe with Poland’s Daria Parada in this afternoon’s 70kg decider.
Her fellow co-captain Marley, a bronze medallist at the European U22s last year, has already changed the colour once and bids to do so again when he steps between the ropes to face Italian Roberto Lizzi in tomorrow’s evening session.
As well as St Paul’s ace Eagleson, lightweight Paul Loonam and welterweight Kaci Rock also landed bronze medals in Porec.
*************************
HOLY TRINITY PICTURE INITIATIVE TO MARK ANNIVERSARY
THE Holy Trinity 50th Anniversary celebrations continue with a major Memory Lane picture show initiative.
Did you or a member of your family or friends ever box for the Turf Lodge club? If so, Trinity officials want to hear from you.
“This year, we celebrate our 50th anniversary, five action-packed decades filled with millions of boxing memories,” said Trinity strategic development officer Emma Louise Lowe.
“To celebrate this milestone in our history, we are planning a series of special events throughout the year including a major Holy Trinity Memory Lane picture show open night in the summer.
“To help us do that, we want to gather together as many of those memories as possible from our former boxers.
“Please send us your pictures, video messages, stories or memory lane messages (keep it short if possible, around 100 words would do), telling us of when you or a family member or friend boxed for the Holy Trinity ABC, to holytrinityabc@hotmail.com or to our Facebook page (@HolyTrinityBelfast)
“We will keep you posted about the Memory Lane and other 50th anniversary events as the year progresses via our Facebook (@HolyTrinityBelfast) and Twitter (@HTBC_Belfast) sites, and in The Irish News Seconds Out pages.”
Fans can also support the anniversary fundraising initiative by going to the following link -www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/holy-trinity-boxing-club-boxing-back
“With your support we will work tirelessly to provide the best possible facilities and opportunities for all our members, giving them every chance to become successful both as an athlete and a person,” added Lowe.
INSET SOMEWHERE
