Chichester boxer hooks top job with Commonwealth Games broadcaster

Holly Heffron, aged 19, is an England international boxer who was crowned England senior elite national champion at 54kg in April 2022.

She is now putting her fast-paced skills to the test after taking part in a work programme by Sunset+Vine, the host broadcast partner for the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

The University of Birmingham sports science student attended a series of training courses at Solihull College, she was offered a role as a logger for the boxing competition, which takes place at Birmingham NEC across the whole 11 days of the Games.

As a logger, she will watch live incoming boxing feeds, mark the key action, reactions and highlights that will be send to the edit teams so they can easily locate footage for television coverage.

“As I don’t have any film or TV experience I wanted to be a runner or a logger as that would mean I was part of the production team but I could also observe how making live TV works,” she said.

“As a boxer, I was keen to work to be placed in the boxing team and was excited when I was told that’s where I’d be based.

“I’m not sure what I want to do when I’ve finished my studies so I’m going to enjoy being part of this fantastic sporting event, doing something that I’ve never done before and just soak up the whole experience.”

Holly, who is from Westhampnett, is hoping the roles will be reversed at the 2024 Paris Olympics and that cameras will be focused on her, if she achieves her dream of getting a place in the Team GB squad.

The 54kg weight class is being introduced there for the first time and Holly is hoping to achieve a place in the team.

She added: “I’m working hard in my training, so I hope I can make the squad. That would be a dream come true,”

Award-winning Sunset+Vine, which provides live sports programming to UK and international broadcasters, offered 200 work experience placements on its outside broadcasts and studio productions.

David Tippet, managing director of Sunset+Vine, said: “We're thrilled to have completed training and offered real-world industry experience to over 200 trainees, with 150 of them now set to join us for paid roles on the Games,” said David.

“The lack of diversity in sports broadcasting is an ongoing issue and this scheme is one way we are looking to play our part in addressing that - and we're thrilled that over 60 per cent of our trainees are from underrepresented groups within our industry.

“Now all that remains is for them to join us on one of the biggest sporting events to be held in the heart of Birmingham.”