A person’s relationship with their father is often thought of as one that can define the course of their life, and that’s amplified tenfold if you ask boxer Amy Broadhurst.
Since she was five years old, her father Tony encouraged her and her brothers into the boxing club, transforming their relationship and bringing it into a whole new dimension, one that would eventually see the Dundalk woman go on to become a european and world champion.
What saw her flourish within the sport however was as much about what he offered in the ring as it was out of it, unwavering support and an unbreakable bond.
“Anything that I've achieved I don’t think I would have achieved without my dad, because the days where I wanted to give up or I was sick of boxing, he was the one knocking on my bedroom door, dragging me down to the car and back to training,” Amy Broadhurst explains.
“I owe it all to my dad.”
Speaking to promote Dove and Nike’s Body Confident Sports programme, the pair know all too well that the path to victory isn’t a straight forward path, and that there are plenty of mental struggles to overcome along that road, especially during teenage years when perhaps people can be their most self conscious.
“When I was in school you’d have girls that weren’t into sport, so they would be very girly. Then with me, because I was probably going to training after school, I didn't have the hair done or the eyelashes done and that was something that I was probably conscious of that I wasn’t like them,” Broadhurst says.
“One thing that I’ve learned is that, say you go out and you’re wearing a string top and you feel like your arms are too big, in your head you think everyone’s looking at you, when realistically they’re not. They’re probably dealing with their own inner confidence. You have to just be yourself,” she adds.
"To any of the girls that do struggle and are watching this, that's something that I would advise is that no one is the same, we're all different and we're all born to be the way we are."#KeepHerConfident #Dove pic.twitter.com/2MVqXRa3rG
— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) December 8, 2023
“For me I could have compared myself to a 51 kilo boxer and it’s just completely crazy because if you line 12 of the female boxers up we’re all different.
“To any of the girls that do struggle, and are watching this, that’s something that I would advise. No one is the same. We’re all different and we’re all born to be the way we are.”
Tony was always a sounding board for Amy Broadhurst during any periods of self doubt, consistently reassuring her that she was on the right track, and looking great doing it too.
“Making weight, especially for females, is so so hard. They can become very self conscious. To coach people like that it’s very important that you have them believing in themselves and telling them that they look fantastic, which they do,” he says.
He describes that what’s as important if not more than tactics and a gameplan is the mental wellbeing of the person behind the athlete, and that the people coaching them “are honest and they’re doing it for you.”
"I've been boxing since I was 5 and I really really believe that this is what I was born to do" 🥊💥
The incredible Amy Broadhurst accepting her Her Sport Athlete of the Year Award 🌟
Catch the full awards ceremony on our YouTube: https://t.co/SdJ5dxOJkw pic.twitter.com/oPH610WufB— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) March 22, 2023
“Make sure they’re doing it for you as a person, you as a team and not them as in them being successful, because you can only achieve what you’re capable of and I think that’s the most important thing,” he says.
“I believe it’s very important for a coach, no matter what sport they do that they connect with the individuals of the team, or the athlete and then you get to know them and find out what’s the best way to talk to them to bring the best out of them for their sport and in general as people.”
Resources, which can help inform and support coaches in doing just that have now been made available by Dove and Nike with the Body Confident Sports programme, which can be found at bodyconfidentsport.com.
GOLD!!!
Amy Broadhurst has delivered on the biggest stage. What a performance in what was a comprehensive victory.
Ireland's THIRD ever female boxing World Champion.
Class. pic.twitter.com/z15hBmQ3jE— Her Sport (@HerSportDotIE) May 19, 2022
Nearly 50% of girls in Ireland feel that coaches need more support to foster confidence, and the programme steps in precisely here. It equips coaches with the materials needed to tailor their approach, creating an environment that inspires body confidence and sets the stage for success. The Body Confident Sports programme is a groundbreaking, evidence-based coaching toolkit tailored for 10 to 17-year-old girls. Accessible online, it equips coaches and mentors with the resources to inspire body confidence and empower girls for success - delivering tools to enhance girls' body confidence, body image, and self-esteem through various organizations, schools, and sports clubs.
