Meg Kilroe: “My goals constantly change and get bigger.”

Meg Kilroe: “My goals constantly change and get bigger.”

Meg Kilroe once said, when I first approached her for an interview, that her story wasn’t much to write about. How wrong she was. Her story is an inspirational one. And one of sheer resilience. Kilroe survived a near-death car crash to form a highly promising boxing career. By the end of the year, her journey will advance to a whole new level.

Kilroe is twenty-three fights into her boxing life. Boxing has given her so much, but sadly, she has also experienced the darker side of the sport. “I took a hard loss at the September national championships,” Kilroe told FightPost. “I made the choice to leave a gym after a coach crossed personal boundaries, and between that and coming back from an injury, I went to the nationals not in my best mindset or shape. I pushed through, but it wasn’t the correct choice. I then took that lesson and took the December national championships off.”

Kilroe has seen fights fall by the wayside in recent times. Much to her frustration. In truth, it runs a little deeper than that. “I was scheduled to have three fights, somewhat local in the Connecticut/ New York area, that all fell through due to circumstances beyond my control. I learned difficult lessons about the dark parts of boxing and what trust is needed from a true coach. I also learned the risk of pushing through injuries and the devastation that can come from that. With how hard I work and how much time and energy I put into training, these letdowns were devastating.”

The 30-year-old is taking her boxing career in a new direction later this year. “I am wrapping up my amateur career this summer and moving to the pro stage by the end of 2026,” Kilroe relayed to me. “I have continued to develop, but unfortunately, in between national competitions, I am unable to get fights. On top of working full-time as a nurse, I’m in the gym full-time as well. And to continuously not get matched for shows and to have last-minute fallouts is contributing to a lack of growth in actual competition. I’ve always felt I had a more pro-style picking shots and pacing versus the output of the number of punches. I hope turning pro will allow me to have more matchups and showcase my skill set further.”

Kilroe always had the ambition of being a national champion, something she hasn’t yet achieved. But the American is still incredibly proud of her achievements in boxing. “I don’t really have any regrets about accomplishments; I only regret not being able to get more experience,” Kilroe told me. “When I started boxing, I never imagined being on a national stage, and as I grew, my goals became bigger and bigger. But the girl who walked into a gym overweight with no direction in life would be so proud of what boxing has done for my life as a whole. Without boxing, I never would have developed the discipline to attend nursing school, and I probably wouldn’t have fought back as hard after breaking my neck and back in a car accident. From being over 200 lbs to being ranked in two weight classes amongst the top athletes in the country is a major accomplishment.”

When the amateur ranks are finally left behind, Kilroe believes she has what it takes to be successful in the world of professional boxing. “I believe my style is more suited to the pro ranks. And people usually have this feedback as well. My style is more about picking shots and timing, whereas the amateurs’ is a lot of brawling. I like to box, and I’m good at it, and I think the pros will demonstrate that.”

After competing higher as an amateur, Kilroe will look to fight as a welterweight in the pro ranks. “147 most likely would be the ideal cut for me as a professional,” Kilroe says. “I’ve fought mostly at 154 as an amateur and 146 and 165, so I can make the weight and even better with the weigh-in being the day before.”

“As fast as my team feels makes sense,” Kilroe adds when I ask how quickly she wants to be moved. “I believe I can be on a big stage with the right steps. I’ve had conversations with a few management companies, and ideally, I would like to get signed with a good promotional company. I have no end goal, and I’ve realised this with boxing; my goals constantly change and get bigger.”

Kilroe is competing in the National Golden Gloves this week, which will likely be her last tournament as an amateur boxer. But a brand new world awaits her. An exciting new chapter in her life. It’s already a story of perseverance after overcoming so much, but it could now be a whole lot more.