Sian O’Toole: “I know that I have the talent to become a world champion.”

Sian O’Toole: “I know that I have the talent to become a world champion.”

“I’d been through so many sports in my life. Dancing, Irish Dancing, Hockey, and Football, but I never really found something that I liked. I was always competitive, and no matter what I did, I always wanted to win,” the words of Sian O’Toole, who, like many, found something in boxing that she couldn’t find in other sports.

“My brother was a boxer for a couple of years before I started, and I actually hated boxing,” O’Toole told me over Zoom. “I just thought it looked really easy. But then I thought he was coming home with trophies every single week, and I thought I wanted some of these shiny trophies. I was just a bit jealous of him.”

Once, O’Toole found more of an interest in her new craft, it became a passion. Even an early setback didn’t deter her.

“I committed to it more or less straight away. With everything I do, I want to be the best at it. I started boxing when I was 13, but I wasn’t allowed to fight until I was 14, until my coach thought I was ready. I didn’t have much luck in my first fight, I got stopped. But even after that, I still believed I had something. I wanted to be a National Champion, then I would be happy with myself, and then I would stop. But it never works out like that, as soon as you reach that level you think you can go further.”

Sian O’Toole was seemingly a natural. Progress was beyond swift.

“I was 15 when I won my first National Title after about a year of fighting,” the 25-year-old told FightPost. “I got onto the England Pathway not long after. At 16, I started boxing for England, and then I started boxing for GB. It all happened in quite a short period. It was a bit of a whirlwind, and at times, I felt a bit of imposter syndrome because it happened so quickly, and I was young when I got on GB. So I had to come to terms with that, and it took quite a long time before I realised I was good enough.”

Over forty amateur fights brought her three National Titles, a Tri-Nations gold medal plus numerous fights on the international stage. But in many ways, it just wasn’t her time.

“I left GB when I was 19. I was still the baby at the time. At featherweight, we had Raven Chapman and Karriss Artingstall, who were a lot older than me. There were a few other girls around the same age as Raven and Karriss, and they all had their women strength, maturity, and experience. I was just starting my degree at the time, and I just thought it wasn’t my time. I needed a little bit of time away, and if it’s meant to be, it will happen. At the time, it kind of broke my heart because I thought, what am I going to do now. I didn’t feel like a boxer anymore. I was still boxing for my club, but it didn’t quite feel the same after boxing for GB. Around the Covid times, I was getting to the point where I didn’t love boxing anymore.”

Life took over for Sian O’Toole, and boxing was temporarily left behind. But she then fell pregnant just after the pandemic, and after her son was born, it reignited her interest in boxing. A desire for Michael to see his mum fight, and a wish for her story not to be one of those what-if stories, O’Toole suddenly found her passion again for boxing.

In 2023, O’Toole decided to turn professional. Three fights in rapid succession, including winning a Midlands title, O’Toole was quickly out of the blocks. But like many female fighters, she found boxing hard in 2024. Fights were hard to come by. A bout for the Commonwealth Silver title against Ebonie Jones fell through on Fight Week. It was a beyond frustrated Sian O’Toole I found when I spoke to her just before Christmas.

“I am at that point in my career where I am a mum, I am a teacher, and I have no hours in the day to socialise with people to drum up support to sell tickets. I’m just relying on talent at the minute. I am at a crossroads where I can’t afford to fight because I can’t sell enough tickets. It’s really hard because I can’t control anything that happens to me now. It’s a bit gutting at the moment. Am I going to be one of those fighters who don’t realise their potential because I can’t sell enough tickets?

“When I am spending time away from my son, every training session has to be worth it. I have to make it work. I know that I have the talent to become a world champion. But it’s how those opportunities will come. I just have to keep building up my record so I can’t be ignored. My ideal year in 2025 would be to win a major title, either a British, Commonwealth or a European.”

Sian O’Toole has finally got the news she has been waiting for. O’Toole now, 5-0, will have fight number six on February 28th in Birmingham. A new beginning for a fighter who just wants to fight.

“I love winning it’s an adrenaline that people don’t understand. Boxing is my high.” O’Toole will hope she has many highs this year. A talented fighter who just wants the opportunity to realise her potential.