The heavyweight fighter on playground bullies, being a carer for his mum, and what he’ll do when he leaves the ring
Born in London in 1985, Joe Joyce is one of Britain’s most interesting boxers. He triumphed in school swimming galas and on the rugby pitch, before starting to take boxing seriously in his early 20s, training at the same gym as Frank Bruno. Joe earned the nickname the Juggernaut after winning gold at the European Games and Commonwealth Games, as well as taking home silver at the 2016 Olympics in Rio, and turned professional in 2017. Absolutely Marvellous, a documentary about his mother, Marvel, who is 93% blind, was released in 2022.
I was two years old and in Victoria Park in east London when this photograph was taken. That looks like a pearl necklace I’m wearing, but it was actually more functional – my parents put a dummy around my neck so I wouldn’t lose it. It also looks like I’m holding myself up on the side of the bin, but I was pretty steady on my feet by this age. During a previous park visit, I’d apparently run off into the lake with the ducks. Someone had to fish me out and wrap me up in a blanket.