Boxing and music both need discipline

anything else’. And it was kind of a weird thing when you don’t come from a difficult background and people judge you because, you know, having education and working hard like that. I don’t see why you shouldn’t do both. And it shouldn’t really matter where you come from. In music, I’ve never had any sort of real adversity, like just being the woman. I think it’s a little bit further ahead.

DH: What does your typical training week look like?

HR: When I’m in training camp for ten weeks, I’m training twice a day, Monday to Saturday. Being a professional athlete, in any sport, is a lifestyle. So even when I’m not in a training camp, I go to the gym and maintain my fitness levels. I’m still boxing, I’m still going for runs and doing strength work, because there’s no point going back to ground zero to start again. I try to maintain a good diet and, I’m not a fussy eater. After the fights, I enjoy myself and have nice food and try to be a bit more flexible with food. When I’m in training camp, you know, it’s quite strict. You’ve got to make weight. So, you have to eat well, and to keep your body in good shape, to be able to perform basically.

DH: What has been your most kind of challenging fight so far, and your career highlight?

HR: A highlight was becoming Scotland’s first ever female world champion, making history, and doing something that’s going to be now in history books.

Other highlights? When I won the WBA title at Tottenham Hotspur stadium, closely followed by defending it. And headlining at the Hydro in Glasgow. I was the first ever female to headline the Hydro. People just like Josh Taylor or Ricky burns, they’ve done that before me so it’s a privilege to join their names. I certainly saw a whole different wave of people attending my fights, lots of young girls and mums and daughters… I just thought that first we’ve broken through the general public.

DH: What’s your advice to young women or girls looking to start boxing?

HR: I think if you’re young, definitely go along to an amateur boxing club. It’s a fantastic way to get involved in sport, there’s great support there. Whenever you join any sort of boxing club, there’s a family vibe, you feel like you’ve got friends and people that understand what you’re doing, and people that will push you. The trainers there work so hard. It’s a great place for young people to go.

If you’re older, going to a boxing gym, that does classes, give it a go. It’s just such a fun thing to do. It’s not just the physical health, it’s for your mental health.

If you’re wanting to go down the professional route, get a great team of people around you, that’s the most important thing. Those are the people that will push you to do your best.

DH: If you could train with anybody in the world, past or present, who would it be?

HR: So many, so many people. I would love to train with Lucia Rijker (a professional kickboxer, boxer, and actress). I thought she was an incredible fighter back in the day. She has some great techniques.

I would absolutely have loved to spend time with Arturo Gatti (an Italian-Canadian professional boxer who died in 2009). He’s probably one of my favourite all time ever fighters. He wasn’t only just a great fighter. He was a great entertainer. Like everybody wants to come watch him because he was never in a boring fight.

DH: I was reading about a charity you’re involved with? Can you tell me a little bit more about that?

HR: I’m really proud to be an ambassador for Boxwise (a charity that helps vulnerable people). It has over 40 clubs here in the UK that run the programs, it basically works with young people and young adults, to help them develop skills and give them opportunity for work and for higher education. We provide a meal at every single class that they come to, they get their gloves, and everything given to them, and they learn things like teamwork, discipline, dedication, things you can learn through boxing that you can actually apply to real life job or in education. At the end of it, if they’re looking to go forward, we help them find their position.

We’ve just finally taken this outside of UK. I took the first one over to South Africa in Cape Town, I have good connections there. And the project was very successful. They’re now on their third course. They started up in Uganda. Hopefully next year we’ll be going to some other countries as well.

DH: A fun question. If you could have any superpower, what would it be?

HR: I’d love to be able to go back in time.

DH: What are your future goals?

HR: I’m looking to be able to begin the new year and come back to basically get my titles back and get back to where I belong as a world champion.

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