Aoibhe Carabine: “Dwelling on the past leads to regret, and constantly chasing the future only fuels anxiety.”

Aoibhe Carabine: “Dwelling on the past leads to regret, and constantly chasing the future only fuels anxiety.”

The boxing life has largely served Aoibhe Carabine well. The 23-year-old County Mayo native has won eleven national titles. But despite an almost constant success in her sport, there have been low points. Carabine has previously told FightPost, “Everything felt overwhelming, and I hit a rough patch mentally.” 

Boxing often takes away plenty. The relentless grind of an elite amateur can often leave fighters with little breathing space for anything else. The higher you go, the harder it gets. Periods of self-doubt. A little hint of impostor syndrome. The body starts to break down. At times, it can get too much. A few years ago, Aoibhe Carabine reached that point.

“I was called up to train at the High Performance Unit in Dublin,” Carabine told me. “Since I had deferred college anyway, I decided to make the most of the opportunity, even though I doubted if I belonged there. But training alongside some of the best boxers in the world slowly changed my mindset. I began to see that I did belong. I was selected to represent Ireland at two elite tournaments, first at Strandja in Bulgaria, one of the toughest competitions in the world. I put way too much pressure on myself to prove I deserved to be there, and I underperformed.

“After Strandja, I seriously questioned where I was going with boxing. I felt like I was giving so much without getting the same joy back. But with encouragement from some of the more experienced boxers, including Kellie Harrington and support from my family, I tried to shift my perspective. For years, I was terrified of losing. I experienced it as a youth boxer, so when it did start happening as I got older, it hit hard. But I started to realise that every fight is a learning opportunity and win or lose. People quickly move on. You’re less than a minute of a conversation for someone until they move on to someone/something else, whether you win or lose, so I stopped caring what others thought and began focusing on my own growth.

“With that new mindset, I entered the next elite tournament in Poland. I boxed better than I ever had. I won my first fight against an established Italian boxer and pushed a home favourite and double Olympian in the semi-finals. But the best part was that I wasn’t consumed with the result. I had a sort of “I don’t give a f***” attitude, not in a careless way, but in a free, focused way. My mind was clear, and it showed in how I boxed. Of course, the hard work had been done over months of training at the HPU, but this new mental shift gave me confidence I hadn’t had in a long time, and I was boxing the best I ever had in my whole career. I had returned to that young girl who started boxing, who had no concept of fear.

“Then, I started suffering from severe heel pain. It got so bad that I struggled to walk, never mind train. After an MRI, I was diagnosed with a tear in my plantar fascia, which meant months out. In September, I returned to college to complete my final year. I knew I needed to focus on getting good results because I’d always dreamed of doing a master’s in physiotherapy, as you must do well to be accepted in a physiotherapy master’s programme.

“I missed the Elite Championships at the end of that year and found it hard how quickly I’d been forgotten once I was injured and I felt that even though it was such a big deal for me, no one else seemed to care, but boxing is a conveyor belt of talent and I had to accept that. Just as I was returning to training and had entered the Harringay Box Cup with the Irish University team, I suffered a knee injury and was sidelined again for another two months. It was devastating. I’d never had to deal with injury before and didn’t know how to handle it mentally. I felt like I’d worked myself to such a high level in 2023, only to see it slipping away.

“Still, I stayed focused on academics and, through hard work, got accepted into the MSc Physiotherapy program at Portobello Institute in Dublin. I entered the National Elites in November 2024, but starting my master’s in October and recovering from injury meant I wasn’t ready. Physically or mentally. It had taken me so long just to get back to baseline fitness that I hadn’t had enough sparring or mental prep to perform how I wanted.

“Now, I’m training in St. Mary’s in Tallaght while continuing to box out of my home club, Geesala. I’m grateful to Noel Burke, the head coach at St. Mary’s, for taking me under his wing. I’ll be travelling with the club to the Eindhoven Box Cup in June, which will be my first tournament back in two years. My short-term goal is to perform well there. Of course, I’d love to win, but I don’t want to put pressure on myself. I just want to enjoy the process and being back in the ring.

“My next big goal is to win an Irish Elite title in November. It’s the only Irish title I don’t have, and it’s the pinnacle of boxing in Ireland. I want to use every opportunity between now and then to prepare. I’d be lying if I said I didn’t dream of one day competing in the Olympic Games. It’s the ultimate goal for any amateur athlete. I know it takes an incredible amount of hard work, and that the standard of female boxing in Ireland is insanely high. Just getting selected for a qualifier would be a massive achievement. But I believe I’m good enough. If I can get in the right mindset, I know I have the work ethic and talent to get there, of course, with a bit of luck, too.”

The focus right now is on the amateur ranks. Turning professional isn’t something Carabine is currently contemplating. “Right now, I don’t have plans to go professional,” Carabine says. “Once I’ve achieved what I want in amateur boxing, I hope to pursue a career in physiotherapy, which has always been another dream of mine. That said, I’d never rule anything out, but for now, I’m just focused on the present.”

Carabine had questioned many things of late. But her boxing career is one of success. A reflective Carabine relayed some of those high points to me. “I think my biggest career highlight is still winning my first Irish title at 11. In my area, there’s a tradition of bringing silverware over the Corrick Bridge into the barony of Erris. I’d watched countless athletes do it, and getting to do it myself was surreal. Bonfires were lit, and the locals came out. It was magical. That feeling drove me to keep going year after year. Bringing pride to my family and community was addictive.

“Winning European gold at my first international was another huge moment, as was medalling with silver at the U22 Europeans in 2022 after nearly four years away from competition. There have been many highs and lows. I’ve had over 40 fights and 6 defeats, and there have been times I’ve wanted to give it all up. But something always pulls me back. I could look to the past and ask, “What if I hadn’t taken a break?” or “What if I hadn’t gotten injured?” But I truly believe everything happens for a reason, and it’s all part of the journey.”

It’s been a difficult time of late for the talented Carabine. But see has now seemingly found balance in her thoughts. “I’ve learned that I can’t waste time worrying about the future either,” Carabine told me. “Wondering, ‘What if I don’t achieve my goals?’ or even, ‘What if I do? What will it cost me?’ Life only happens in the present. Dwelling on the past leads to regret, and constantly chasing the future only fuels anxiety. But when I stay grounded in the now, balancing both sport and academics, I give myself the space to grow and enjoy the process. Ultimately, if you don’t enjoy the journey, you won’t enjoy the end goal. I’m deeply grateful just to have the chance to compete in sports and pursue a master’s degree, two opportunities that not everyone gets, and ones I’ll never take for granted.”