BOXING: IN A sport that is often seen as the epitome of machismo, two young ladies from Little Sutton are learning the noble art of the Queensberry Rules.
Jade Smith and Ashleigh Winstanley, who are both studying public services at West Cheshire College's Ellesmere Port campus, have been training at the Vauxhall Motors ABC for the past three months.
Coach Paul Butler Snr is delighted with the girls' progress and is also pleased with their attitude towards the sport.
He said: 'Jade and Ashleigh are here all the time and work hard in the gym. They're good listeners and take on board what their instructors have told them. Both of them are showing some good footwork, so they're quite tidy on their feet.'
Jade, who was the first to come along, also has ambitions to take part in contests in the future.
She said: 'I've done kick boxing in the past and I knew a few lads who were at Vauxhall so I decided to go down and give it a try at a proper club. My aim is to get to competition standard and see what I can do. There aren't that many female boxers out there but I'm inspired by the ones who have turned professional like Jane Couch.'
One of the main problems for young women trying to get into boxing is the concern of friends and family that the sport is too violent for the fairer sex.
Ashleigh said: 'My parents support me now but they weren't too happy when I first told them I was going to try boxing. A lot of people have that kind of reaction; it's not that they're sexist or old-fashioned, they are just worried that you'll get hurt because girls are seen as being more delicate.'
It's also an attitude that Jade has encountered, though she reckons people are more bothered about how girls will look.
She said: 'I think most girls are put off as they think they'll mess their face up, so that's definitely not good! But I enjoy it because it keeps you fit and it's really useful for self-defence in the way it teaches you about blocks. There used to be another girl who trained here but she left a while ago so I was left on my own. I know Ashleigh well so I asked if she wanted to join me and we've been learning together.
Jade added: 'I want to see how far I can get in boxing and I'm determined to get some competitive experience. I know I've still got a long way to go and will have to keep developing, but I'm hoping to get a chance in a few months' time.'
Ashleigh, who is a lance corporal in the Territorial Army cadets, who she has been with for two years, hopes that boxing will prove to be a useful extra curricular activity for her future career.
She said: 'I would like to be a radio operator in the Royal Signals and if I can show dedication in my boxing, it could put me in good stead.'
