NEWS
14yr old Stalbridge girl, named one of ‘Europe’s top boxing prospects’, aims for Gold Ruby ‘The Pocket Rocket’ Else-White has been recognised as one of Europe’s top talents at just 14-years-old. “It was mad!” Ruby said of the competition in Sweden early last year. Now aged 14, Ruby was just 12 when she won “I’d competed all weekend, and won all my bouts to get the gold for my weight. It was actually really tough because it was all judged on technical ability. There was no power allowed so I had to just focus on my skills. But I didn’t even think about the overall award. I was so shocked.” “There were 300 girls fighting that weekend” explained her coach, Shaun Weeks of Sturminster Newton ABC “It’s the biggest female amateur championship in Europe. The Indian national team were competing, as were some of the Italians. Ruby was one of the youngest competitors. We were watching the final presentation, and didn’t even think about the top ‘Best Prospect’ award – it’s never left Norway or Sweden before. There were some great fighters there – but y’know,
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Ruby’s up there with them. She’s amazing”
Ruby also defeated the reigning European champion last March, just before the Covid-19 pandemic stalled her attempt to represent England. For Heidi Else, Ruby’s Mum, it’s been almost an inevitable journey.
“She’s always been a strong, independent person. A ‘free bird’ I call her. “I recently found an old drawing of hers from Primary School the class had had to colour a rainbow and write their wish underneath. Ruby had written ‘I want to win the Olympics Gold for Boxing’ as her biggest wish. I should have known right then!” Shaun says he knew too, from Ruby’s very first training session.
by Laura Hitchcock 14yr old Ruby ‘The Pocket Rocket’ Else-White from Stalbridge has been recognised as one of Europe’s top talents.
“she got in the ring as a 7yr old, never having worn a pair of gloves before, and I told another coach that night that she’d be a champion by the time she was 12” Talking to Ruby over a weekend of a sporting social media boycott raising awareness of online abuse, I wondered if a young teen girl had received any nastiness herself. “It’s something that worries me” said Heidi “It’s bad enough that her sport makes her obsess around her weight – we keep the focus on fitness and health, and never on her looks, but teen girls are vulnerable. It’s a trickly line to walk. And then Ruby’s had some issues with unpleasantness on social media – particularly when the article was published on Sky Sports about her. It did upset her for a bit.” Ruby appeared less concerned than her mum, expressing what I’m quickly learning is her usual dismissive attitude to things she doesn’t like. Always free - subscribe here
