Lucy Kings-Wheatley: “I am aiming for that gold medal.”

Lucy Kings-Wheatley: “I am aiming for that gold medal.”

Lucy Kings-Wheatley will very shortly be heading to Glasgow to compete in the Commonwealth Games. The 23-year-old has had a difficult time of late; being selected to fight for her country carries a deeper meaning.

“I’ve never really had the chance to represent England,” Kings-Wheatley told me over Zoom. Obviously, I box for GB. But I’ve only had the one bout for England at the Tri-Nations after winning my national title. I have never really fully represented England before. So it’s that feeling of finally representing my country that has hit the spot. I am proper excited for it.”

“I wasn’t too sure if I would get selected,” Kings-Wheatley added. “I have had a few problems along the way. I had a bit of time away from GB, struggling with my mental health. I had family issues that went on at the start of the year. I had a bit of a down phase, like I suppose we all do. My dad unfortunately passed away at the end of last year. I wasn’t the closest to my dad, so I wasn’t expecting it to hit me that hard. From there, I hit a little downward spiral. I went to a camp in America more or less straight after hearing the news. I had the one contest, I was a bit unlucky drawing the number one. I lost on a 3-2 split, but it was razor-close. After that, the comedown stuff hit me. It was a struggle. But I came back up, and even though I was still struggling, I really pushed for the Commonwealth Games. I was flying in sparring. They had faith in me, and my ability and I was just glad to get selected.”

It’s been a difficult time for Kings-Wheatley. But her resilience has been impressive. As is her self-belief. The 23-year-old is going to Glasgow fully intent on being on the podium. “On this kind of stage, it would be major for me to get a medal,” Kings-Wheatley says. “I am aiming for that gold medal especially. I believe I can win gold. I had a period in my career when I had 15 months out of the ring. It’s not the first setback that I have been through. After those 15 months away, I didn’t feel like a stranger in the ring. So what are these few months away going to do? If anything, I feel more ready. I don’t feel burnt out. I feel I am peaking when I need to peak. It’s all in my head. What I believe, I feel I can achieve.”

The combat sports journey started when she was just 8. After around ten years in the kickboxing world, the Midlands fighter made the switch to the Noble Art. “I was about 18 when I started boxing,” Kings-Wheatley told me.

After just five years in the sport, her progress has been rapid. “When I think about it, I have made some humongous steps when you consider how long I have been in the sport.”

“Boxing gives me a lot of things,” Kings-Wheatley went on to say. “Motivation is a big one. I never really got the best opportunities in kickboxing. It’s not so much a recognised sport. There was no Olympic route. So in boxing, I want to win as many medals as I can. I want to enjoy it and have an impact.”

Kings-Wheatley is confident and equally ambitious. The Los Angeles are only two years away, but she is level-headed and just taking one tournament at a time. “I have always had a problem thinking too far ahead,” Kings-Wheatley says. “It makes me panic a little bit. I just take one step at a time. I want to get the Commonwealth Games out of the way, but the Olympics are a long-term goal. The qualifiers start next year. The coaches know I have the potential to do it, so it’s just staying consistent now.”

The focus right now is the amateur ranks, but Kings-Wheatley isn’t ruling out turning professional. There is also that desire to inspire the next generation of fighters. “Whether that is before or after the Olympics, I don’t know. That depends on how the qualifiers go. But I would love to turn pro. I would love to win Olympic gold and then go through the ranks as a professional. But the main goal is to have an impact on the people coming through. I want to show that you can go through dark times, and then come back from them, and still achieve big things.”