Linn Sandstrom: “A lot of people wanted me to fail in the beginning. But fast forward a couple of years and now look where I am. I am making money, doing what I love and travelling the world and winning belts.”

Linn Sandstrom: “A lot of people wanted me to fail in the beginning. But fast forward a couple of years and now look where I am. I am making money, doing what I love and travelling the world and winning belts.”

Born in Brazil, raised in Sweden, where she was an international table tennis player, and then moved to Australia where she became a professional boxer. It has been some life for Linn Sandstrom, more than a story of the unexpected. Home is Australia, but in many ways, it is a residence with temporary status above the door. Linn is now in the UK, a few days out from her latest appearance inside a boxing ring. Over Zoom, Linn told me what a globetrotting year it has been for her:

“It’s crazy. Even this year I have spent three months outside of Australia with my boxing. I have been everywhere. So yeah, I am feeling really blessed.”

With a degree in marketing, Linn could have gone any number of ways in her life. But she found boxing. Or maybe more accurately, boxing found her. It started as a hobby, a desire to lose some weight resulting from inactivity since her table tennis days, but it quickly turned into an obsession for her. Linn lives alone, only what she calls her gym dog for company, boxing is everything to her:

“It’s just boxing in my life. That is all I do. And when I am not boxing, I am still with my coach watching the other fighters in various competitions.”

Linn makes her UK debut this Saturday night at the iconic York Hall on a Lee Eaton-promoted show. A few more air miles collected, the excitement obvious even over a video link, and with family flying over to England for the fight, it carries a little more meaning:

“I’m so excited to finally make my UK debut. I won the WBA Asia title in the Philippines in August and then I got ranked number 10 in the world. And then we got the opportunity to fight Sara Marjanovic from Serbia for the WBA super-flyweight intercontinental title in Vietnam, but that didn’t happen. But Lee Eaton very kindly offered to host in the UK. It is going to be at the York Hall in London, so everyone is saying what a privilege it is to fight there.

“It is my first time boxing in the UK, so I am so excited to be boxing there and experiencing it and even my parents are flying over from Sweden to watch me fight. They have never even seen me box before.”

I first interviewed Linn around 16 months ago, a novice pro, still learning her craft, but even then she talked about one day winning a world title. There were in truth many doubters, anyone can dream, and with a loss already on her record after just two fights, that dream seemed unrealistic. But the months have seen progress, and despite a draw and a hotly-disputed loss late last year, Linn is now riding high with a winning streak of five. With two titles already to her name, on Saturday she attempts to win a third in her first 10-rounder. With a win those dreams of winning a world title move a little closer, something which isn’t lost on Linn:

“Fighting for a world title has always been my goal. But I need to win this fight first. The girl that I am fighting is very tough, so I am expecting a tough 10-rounder. But hopefully, I get the job done.”

Linn has told me previously how much she feels her skills, strength and power are developing. Nothing has changed. The win streak is building confidence and there are no signs of resting on her laurels:

“I have been winning all my fights this year, and even the one I lost last year I thought I won that one. I am really making massive progression at the moment. I have been sparring up to 35 rounds for this camp with former world champions and girls who are 20kg heavier. We have really been putting in the work. So I couldn’t be more ready. I am obviously a boxer, but now I am getting really strong. I am starting to really hurt people as well. It is all starting to come together.”

Linn had her critics at the beginning of her boxing journey. Written off as a no-hoper, told old to start boxing with no previous experience, and the early setbacks would have had those doubters rubbing their hands with some glee. But Linn is nothing but resilient, and the naysayers are slowly being won over:

“Yesterday one of the boys who has been there right from the start brought his brother over from overseas. And he said if you want an inspirational story it’s hers. She has gone from shit-storming the sport to becoming world-ranked. Linn has never given up and it is truly inspirational to see. It was actually some of his friends who gave me a hard time in the beginning, so for him to acknowledge that means a lot. I have turned so many people around, and so many are now so positive, it is such a good vibe. What I went through at the beginning has really shaped me and made me extremely strong mentally.

“In the beginning, I went through such a tough time and there were a lot of people close to me giving me such a hard time. But all that has changed now. In the beginning, when I had those losses I had to fight both inside and outside of the ring. But now I can just focus my energy on becoming a better boxer, nothing else. Nothing really fazes me now, I have grown such a tough skin. I am just happy doing me.

“A lot of people wanted me to fail in the beginning. But fast forward a couple of years and now look where I am. They were tough times but it is really starting to pay off now. I am making money, doing what I love and travelling the world and winning belts.”

Linn 30, is now very much reaping the rewards of all her hard work these past few years, with a new management team that is taking the weight off her shoulders in terms of getting sponsors, Linn is able to focus entirely on her boxing. But she is a fighter who wants to inspire the next generation of talent also:

“Boxing is my entire life. I want to be able to give back to boxing as well, give back to people that are struggling and be a role model. I get a lot of people messaging me, both girls and boys, saying that I inspire them, so to be able to do that is pretty cool.”

It has gone from a hobby to a full-time 24/7 obsession, her quote about boxing is her entire life is an accurate one. In and out of fight camp. Linn lives and breathes boxing:

“If you want to become the best you have to put the work in. Sometimes I feel boxers just think they have to train and that’s it. Even managing your recovery is a full-time job. I train fifteen times a week and go to my recovery six times a week. Then I go to my physio two times a week, and then there is all my food preparation, so I don’t have much time to do anything else.”

Linn (6-2-1) is ambitious, even last year she knew where she wanted the boxing journey to take her. Small steps on her way to possible world titles. Linn is now ranked inside the top ten of the WBA super-flyweight division, and the fight on Saturday against Marjanovic could edge her a little closer to her dreams. But for Linn, the focus is just on Saturday night:

“I just want to win this fight. If it was up to me I would probably have another one, but my coach wants me to rest up after this one. Next year I want to fight in March, keep pushing myself and keep fighting better people and keep striving to the top and improve my world ranking.”

The story of Linn Sandstrom is certainly unique, and all the ridicule in the early stages of her boxing life has now been replaced by real hope it could end with everything that she wants. Many future world champions have graced the York Hall. It might lack the glamour of elsewhere, a spit and sawdust venue if ever there was one. But it can be a pathway to much bigger things. Linn will hope it will be for her also. And if people still doubt her, they need to remember they doubted her even getting this far.