Beyond The Ropes: Millie Symons

Beyond The Ropes: Millie Symons

The Enfield-born Millie Symons was bullied at school. She found those early years hard for many reasons. But she found boxing and her life changed for the better.

The 21-year-old struggled to find herself in those early formative years.

“I got bullied for three years at school, which led me to be an angry and frustrated kid,” Symons told FightPost. “I found it hard to fit in with the conventional crowd at school. Part of me believes this is what turned me to find a sport that allowed me to vent my frustrations and focus some aggression in a constructive way.

“But I had a family that loved me and supported me growing up. Especially my mum, who, in my younger years, used to drive me back and forth to the gym.”

Boxing is undoubtedly a major part of the life of Millie Symons. Even before she was a teenager, Symons had found her way into combat sports. “Initially, I started in a kickboxing gym when I was 11. But when I was 12, I started at a dedicated boxing gym and since then I have always had a desire and a special part of my mind that has been entirely focused on sports and how I can improve myself both physically and mentally.

“My start in boxing began in a kickboxing gym before I moved to that dedicated boxing gym. I started this due to myself and my mum discussing my need to find a sport outside of school that acted as an outlet for when I was getting in trouble at school.”

Symons found that outlet for many things in boxing. A sport that gives her so much. “My attraction to boxing comes from the focus of the sport and the amount of discipline, patience, and dedication that comes along with the sport itself. The freedom and thrill that I receive from each fight make me feel electric. I enjoy the hard work and dedication. I do it because it helps with my emotions and because it’s a family-oriented sport.”

Despite what the sport can undoubtedly bring, there are aspects of it that are beyond hard. Like many, Symons finds one part incredibly difficult. “The hardest part I find about boxing is making weight for each fight and the mental and incredibly hard physical toll this can take on my body.”

Millie Symons is now approaching her 50th fight, a number when reached that could prompt her to turn professional. But it is an early introduction to the sport that is still fresh in the memory.

“The earliest fight that I can remember was a skills bout,” Symons told me. “I was so anxious. My heart was pounding so fast that my coach said he could hear it. I had shaky legs in the changing room. But even though I was so anxious, I still wanted to have a fight and get stuck in and show that room, what I could do.”

Those forty-odd fights have brought many memories and many highlights, Symons relayed to FightPost. “I won the NABCs championships in 2022, and I won my first fight abroad in Portugal. And the more sentimental achievements of winning my first home show.

There is a productive life outside of boxing for Symons. “I studied uniform services at Cambridge Regional College for four years, and then I went on and studied L2 gym instructor and L3 Personal Training course. Currently, I am working as a sports coach within primary schools, allowing me to teach young children about sports and allow me to teach them the fun of physical exercise.”

Millie Symons is refreshing in many ways. An inspiring story, but also not the usual bold claims of world titles and more. I’m sure Symons has ambitions to go far in her sport of choice, but if so, she is playing down those ambitions. “My short-term goal would be to reach fifty amateur fights and then turn over to the professionals. Long-term, my aspirations are to successfully win a professional title fight.”