I was blown away by the action nine years ago and now I’m in Tokyo ready to fight for Team GB – it’s been quite a journey
Eleven years ago, when I was just a little girl with a big dream, I had to call myself Colin and pretend to be a boy so that I could step inside a boxing ring. I was nine and girls were not allowed to box at the famous Repton Boys Club in east London. All these years later I am so happy that the girl who called herself Colin, and tried to disguise her real identity, has arrived in Tokyo to fight for Team GB in the Olympic Games. It’s been quite a journey.
My big brother Daniel boxed at the Repton and I copied everything he did. I fell in love with boxing and I convinced our dad he should also take me to the gym. He understood because boxing runs in our blood. One of our ancestors, Sylvia Dubois, was an African-American slave who won her freedom as a bare-knuckle fighter in the 18th century.
Related: Team GB name 11-strong Olympic boxing squad packed with talent
I fought my heart out so I would not let down that little girl who had such a beautiful dream
Related: ‘They all have the magic – it’s almost spiritual’: the fighting Dubois family
