14-year-old Cassie Henderson is European Schools Champion after defeating Italian Gaia Caldarella in Slovenia Friday afternoon.
It was a comfortable win for the Lurgan teenager who unanimously won each round 10-9 in a fitting follow-up to her All-Ireland title earlier this year.
Cassie has been boxing just a little over a year and a half; the daughter of Armagh GAA player Ryan Henderson, she started it as a way of supporting her Gaelic football with Clann Eireann.
Cassie attends St Ronan’s College and is a member of Phoenix Amateur Boxing Club. She cites the boxers who came before her as inspirations.
“I just want to continue trying to box for Ireland, getting to the Europeans, Worlds, eventually getting to the Olympics. You look at Kellie Harrington, somebody like Michaela Walsh and what she has done, a local girl qualified for her second Olympics and going to all the other big competitions. That’s what I want to do.”