the ring and know that I am a better boxer than even when I won the European title. Overall I am fighting much better.
M&F: You brushed all aside in 2010 to take gold at the Four Nations challenge. Do you think that was a serious marker to lay down for an Olympic spot? LC: I was just getting back into it from my injury lay-off and had a couple of good quality opponents to face; one from China and the other from Kazakhstan. I came through and beat them both but I was still a little bit sloppy so I thought if I wasn’t right and still won beating two strong opponents then once I sharpened up, there was a lot more to come.
M&F: Being part of the GB set-up means you train at the national academy in Sheffield under head of coaching Rob McCracken and his team of specialists as well as here in Hull. How does that work? Can you explain how your training week is set out, from Monday onwards? LC: Monday, I am in Sheffield at the British academy. We start at 3.00 pm with a meeting and a training session. Tuesday morning starts with a run and then on to strength and conditioning at 10.30 am, maybe followed by technical shadow boxing, before coming back at 3.30 pm for our individual gym time when we spar, train on the bags and pads, then do circuits, sit-ups and stretches to finish. Wednesday is the same routine as
Tuesday. Thursday morning is usually a strong-
man circuit or a run. 10.30 am is in the gym for a boxing session, bags, pads or more sparring and then we go home after that. Friday is spent here at St Paul’s, my club gym, with my coach Mike. Sometimes that
will involve training but some weeks that work will be saved until the Sunday morning. Saturday is my day of rest. Well I say rest but I have a young child who likes to wake me up early in the morning, in fact it was 5.30 am this morning.
M&F: So whose training plan are you following—the Great Britain coaches’ plan or your own? LC: We work on things in Sheffield set by the team of GB coaches. Each boxer is briefed on what they should be working on. Nothing is written down but everyone is fully aware what needs to be done. I speak to Mike, my coach here, throughout the week on the telephone and when I come back on the Friday we will work on specific things that have come up in the week or areas that he feels I need to improve on. Nothing too strenuous because I have had a hard week at Sheffield but we will keep grooving it until it is right.
M&F: What other specialist help do you receive from the national set-up? LC: We have physios which, due to the nature of our training, we need. We also have a sports psychologist, which is great for some of the boxers but it isn’t really for me. I will add though that when I was going through a rough time due to my injury he was there for me and helped. But now I am in a different place, a happy place and I don’t want to look back. We also have a nutritionist on board who ensures that all the boxers on the squad
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