After Kellie Harrington won gold at the Tokyo Olympics, the Irish public recognized her as not merely a sporting hero, but a deeply inspirational human being. Now, Kellie tells the story of her unlikely journey to the top, and of the many obstacles and setbacks she overcame along the way. Growing up in Dublin’s north inner city, Kellie was in danger of going down the wrong path in life before she discovered boxing.

The local boxing club was all-male and initially wouldn’t let her join, but she persisted. She was not an overnight success. For years she struggled in international competition.

At times she felt unsupported by the national boxing set-up. More than once she considered giving up the sport. But some spark of ambition and love for boxing kept her going, and gradually she made herself world class.