Beyond The Ropes: Jasmine Poole

Beyond The Ropes: Jasmine Poole

Jasmine Poole comes from a family with a high-level sporting background. It was perhaps always somewhat inevitable that the 24-year-old would follow in her parent’s footsteps. And she has. Poole is now thirty-four fights and multiple honours into her boxing career. There are dreams of competing on the Commonwealth and Olympic stage and a desire to inspire the next generation of female fighters.

Poole was born in Perth, Western Australia. It was that aforementioned sporting inner circle that formed her early years.

“I have two very athletic parents,” Poole relayed to FightPost. “My dad played Australian Rules Football, and my mum was a great all-round athlete, playing rounders for England and a high level of football and table tennis. I also have two sporty sisters, both of whom played county badminton. Sport has always played a huge role in my life. Our childhood was spent playing outside and being ferried to and from our various sports clubs. I was a competitive swimmer until I was fifteen.

“My dad is Australian, and we lived there until I was three. My mum is English and we moved to England, and we lived in Clevedon, North Somerset, to be close to her family. I was very fortunate to live in Dubai for a couple of years when I was ten due to my dad’s work.”

With a family of extensive sporting endeavours, Poole was always likely to follow. “I don’t think anyone would have doubted me having a lifetime being involved in sport,” Poole told me. “I played on every sports team at school and always prided myself on being the first student at my school to gain badges for every sport. An accolade given to those who have captained and played for the team for the year. I was then rewarded with being a sports captain for my house in secondary school.”

It was probably fate that was the catalyst for Poole to find boxing. “As my dad has always worked away, my mum often didn’t have a babysitter, and that meant in half term, my sisters and I attended her fitness classes with her. One of which was a boxing pads and gloves class. I think the head coach noticed we had a lot of energy and allowed us to have a go. We then attended the kids’ class, and gradually, my sisters stopped coming. I really enjoyed it but the club wasn’t competitive, so when I turned sixteen, I bought a moped so I could travel to Bristol to attend a competitive club.”

“I love that there are so many components to boxing, and it’s challenging in so many ways,” Poole says of what the attraction of boxing is to her. “You always have to be fit. That’s a given. But, you also have to be so mentally focused and composed to carry out a game plan. I admire skilful boxers the most, and I really enjoy honing in on the technical elements of the sport. You find a lot out about yourself being a boxer, you know when it comes down to it you have the ability to bite down on your gumshield and push to the end of a fight no matter how fatigued you may be.

“It gives me a goal to focus on every day. It keeps me motivated and is a great way to relieve daily stresses. Boxing has also given me lifelong friends as well as so many amazing experiences competing all over the world. I think people underestimate the life lessons you learn being involved in elite-level sports. The work ethic you gain is unmatched.”

Like many, Poole draws inspiration from perhaps the greatest fighter that ever lived. “I’ve always been hugely inspired by Muhammad Ali,” Poole says of who inspires her the most. “His style, skill, and personality have made him my favourite fighter from the beginning.”

Jasmine Poole is now thirty-four fights into her chosen craft. But the memories of her very first fight still linger. “I don’t think I have been as nervous as I was for my first fight since, in any aspect of my life. I remember from the moment I found out I had my first fight (about a month prior), I got waves of feeling sick and excited all the way until I eventually stepped into the ring. It was one of the best things that I ever did, and I haven’t looked back since.”

Poole has most certainly moved on since that early ring experience. A deep resume that is growing ever deeper. “I am currently ranked number two in both England and Australia after obtaining silver in both countries’ Elite Amateur National Championships,” Poole relayed to me.

The Perth-born fight rolled off her roll of honour that includes:

Western Australian Under 60kg State Champion 2024

Queen of the Ring 2024 (Australia)

Women’s Winter Box Cup Champion 2023 (England)

Golden Girls Champion 2023 (Sweden)

Hull Box Cup Champion 2023 (England)

Two-time Riviera Box Cup Champion and Award for Best Female

Poole is looking at a year of further development. “I want to have another good season gaining more titles and more experience in bouts to make a national squad.”

With the professional ranks ever-expanding, Poole would seem a natural to turn professional also. But her immediate aims are in the amateur ranks. “I don’t dislike the idea of turning professional in the long run,” Poole told me. “But I love amateur boxing. My goal from childhood has been to compete at the Olympics, even before I started boxing, and amateur boxing is obviously the way to make that dream come true.”

But in the long term, Poole wants to pass on her knowledge to those who will follow her.
“Once my career has come to an end, I would love to coach the next generation of boxers and keep driving the increase of girls and women in boxing.”