Chichester boxing star Holly tipped for GB glory

Q Shillingford is backing Bishop Luffa School pupil Holly Heffron to be the next fighter from Heart of Portsmouth Academy to break on to the Great Britain boxing scene.
Chichester's Holly Heffron is delighting her Heart of Portsmouth coaches with her quick progressChichester's Holly Heffron is delighting her Heart of Portsmouth coaches with her quick progress
Chichester's Holly Heffron is delighting her Heart of Portsmouth coaches with her quick progress

The Chichester-based fighter landed her maiden national title at the England Youth Championships in County Durham recently. Heffron, 17, defeated Bognor Boxing Club’s England Cadet champion Phoebe Griths-Johnson to land the under-51kg female belt.

It was just reward for the Bishop Luffa School pupil, who regularly arrives at the gym around 6.30am during the week for training before heading to school. Heart of Portsmouth Academy are no strangers to having fighters go onto make an impression on the world and European scene.

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Both Ebonie Jones and Ivy-Jane Smith have gone onto big things after leaving the club. Coincidentally, they also won England Youth Championship titles at the same weight as Heffron.

Now Heart of Portsmouth head coach Shillingford is tipping the Chichester young gun to enjoy a similar rise. Shillingford said: “Holly has been with the club for more than three years now. Since joining she has gone from strength to strength.

“She has represented England on several occasions. Holly is following in the footsteps of prior international and GB boxers that we’ve had at the club. Both Ebonie Jones and Ivy-Jane Smith, they both won titles at the under-51kg category. It looks like Holly could follow in the same footsteps.

“Those two have gone onto world and European honours, both Ivy-Jane and Ebonie. We’re hoping Holly can follow in similar footsteps. We’ve had five or six boxers at the club who have gone onto be part of GB. I’m tipping her to be the next one.”

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Heffron has previously represented England, losing in the quarter-finals of the European Championships last year. Shillingford believes her national title glory with give her a good chance of being selected to compete at the European Championships again next month.

He added: “To become number one for England is a massive achievement for her. Holly has done massively well to win an England title just at the right time. It puts her in the spot for selection. She’s stepped up a level and she’s on the England team already. It’s onwards and upwards for her now.”