Beyond The Ropes: Aoibhe Carabine

Beyond The Ropes: Aoibhe Carabine

The 23-year-old Aoibhe Carabine had a spell playing Gaelic football when she was just 8. Not long after, boxing came into her life. Two years later, Carabine was an Irish champion. She has now won eleven National titles.

Carabine was born in a small village called Bangor Erris in County Mayo.

“I was brought up in a hardworking household,” Carabine told FightPost. “My parents own the local supermarket, and, over the years, they have expanded their business by investing in property and recently taking over a shop and garage in the area. They instilled a strong work ethic and sense of perseverance in my siblings and me, which has stuck with me throughout my sporting and academic career. My parents have never been afraid to take risks, and they’ve always believed that with hard work, determination, and sacrifice, anything is possible. I’m incredibly grateful to them. They are my biggest role models.”

Carabine was always likely to have some kind of life in sports. It’s been in her life from a very early age. “Growing up, I was always sport-minded,” Carabine says of those formative times. “I had an older brother who was obsessed with sports, and I naturally wanted to follow in his footsteps. I started playing Gaelic football in second class, probably around the age of 8, and I quickly fell in love with it.”

But another ‘love’ would quickly form.

“The following year, I decided to take up boxing. There was a brilliant club nearby, Geesala Boxing Club, which at the time had multiple Irish champions and several international titles, which was amazing for a small village on the west coast of Ireland. I’d also heard that boxing training was great for strength and fitness, so I thought it would help improve my football game. But I soon realised how much I loved boxing itself and that I had a natural flair for it.”

The very first ring walk is still fresh in her mind. “I still remember my first fight,” Carabine told me. “I had absolutely no fear. I took to it quite easily and went on to win my first Irish title at the age of 11. I didn’t lose another until 2023, when I lost in the Elite Final to Olympian Aoife O’Rourke. In total, I’ve won 11 Irish titles and one runners-up medal.”

Carabine is a great believer in the importance of playing sports from an early age.

“I believe it’s really important for children and teenagers to try out multiple sports to discover what they truly enjoy. I also played basketball and soccer for my secondary school, which I really enjoyed. But by then, I was heavily committed to both Gaelic football and boxing, so I never joined clubs for the other sports outside of school.”

After trying to combine multiple sports, Carabine had a decision to make.

“I played Gaelic football for Mayo from the age of 12 to 16, winning Connacht titles and even playing in an All-Ireland Final. Eventually, I had to make the tough decision to focus solely on boxing. Both sports were becoming more serious, and living in a rural area meant the constant travel was draining. By then, I had already won a European gold medal in Bulgaria, and I was training with the Irish team on Saturdays in Dublin. I was juggling training for my club, county football, weekend matches, and schoolwork, and to be honest, I got burned out.

“There was also a situation in boxing involving a team decision that left me disheartened. Everything felt overwhelming, and I hit a rough patch mentally. During my Leaving Cert year, I decided to take a break from boxing to focus on my studies and stepped away from the Mayo team. I knew I would miss it, but it was the right call. I was spreading myself too thin and couldn’t excel in anything. I continued playing for my local GAA club, Kiltane, though. Boxing can be extremely lonely, and I enjoyed the team aspect that football offered.

“That year, I really prioritised school. Doing well academically has always been important to me. I got into ATU Galway at 17, where I studied Sport and Exercise Science for four years and was lucky enough to be on a sporting scholarship throughout. Unfortunately, due to COVID and my final school year, I didn’t compete for a few years, between 2019 and 2021.”

But after her extended hiatus, Carabine returned to her craft and picked up where she had left off. “I made my comeback in February 2022,” Carabine said. I won my 10th Irish title and was then selected to represent Ireland at the U22 European Championships, where I earned a silver medal. I also won two Irish University titles for ATU Galway and represented my college at the World University Combat Games in Turkey, bringing home a bronze medal after a really close bout against the home boxer and eventual gold medallist, who is also a world and multiple European champion.”

“The hardest part of boxing for me has been making weight,” Carabine says of what is the toughest part of her sport. “It leads to a difficult relationship with food and body image and often creates a cycle of restriction and bingeing that’s tough to break. Another challenge is dealing with nerves before a fight. Before every bout, I question why I put myself through it.

“Losing is especially tough because it all comes down to you. But what boxing gives me far outweighs the negatives. The training, although brutal, puts me in peak physical and mental condition. It gives me confidence, discipline, and resilience. I’ve also had the opportunity to travel, meet incredible people, and grow not just as an athlete but as a person.

“Still, I’ve learned not to let boxing define me. It’s a massive part of my life, but at the end of the day, it’s a sport. I used to struggle with the idea of who I was outside of being ‘the boxer,’ but I’ve come to realise I’m much more; most importantly, I’m a daughter, a sister, a friend, and a girlfriend.”

Aoibhe Carabine has very big dreams going forward.

“Looking ahead, my goal is to win an Irish Elite title and re-establish my place on the Irish Elite HPU squad. From there, I aim to become Ireland’s 75kg female representative, with the ambition of competing at the European and World Championships and ultimately earning the chance to box at the Olympic Games.

“Like any competitive boxer, my biggest dream is to win gold at these major tournaments. Saying that out loud can feel scary because the goals are so big, but as the saying goes, if your dreams don’t scare you, they’re not big enough. Until then, I’m focused on gaining as much international experience as possible to continue growing and preparing myself so that, with the help of God, I’ll be ready if and when those opportunities come my way.”