'You can either go to the Olympics or have children' - how Reid recovered to fight again

Boxer Chantelle Reid once had to choose between her dream of boxing glory and hopes of ever having children.

She chose family. And so the former European junior champion retired as an athlete before her career ever got going.

Or at least that's how it seemed for a long time for someone who is now one of England's top gold medal prospects at the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

"I unfortunately got a degenerative disc disease and the doctor said you can either go to the Olympics or have children, so it scared me a bit," she told BBC East Midlands Today.

"It was all a shock, and I had long discussions with my family and decided to stop boxing. They said I could potentially be paralysed from the waist down.

"I had second opinions, quite a few scans, and everyone was certain I [had a] degenerative disc disease and they advised me to stop."

Reid wants 'dream Olympic gold' before turning pro

For six years the Derbyshire fighter's career was put on hold because of her back problem.

But that all changed when she dared to get back in the gym with gloves for a sparring session - and did so pain free.

The difficult choice between the prospect of motherhood and aspirations of fighting for her country on one of sport's grandest stages no longer needed to be made. She was back.

And just one year after coming out of that enforced hiatus in 2023, she fought her way into the Team GB squad for the Paris Olympic Games. Another 12 months later and she had claimed a World Championship bronze medal.

Reid has explained how being beaten on a split-decision in her opening bout at Paris 2024 was instrumental in shaping what is a rejuvenated career - with Olympic gold remaining her focus above the lure of going professional.

"If I was to look at myself as the 10-year-old girl I was, this is what I always wanted - to be training full time and having gone to the Olympics," Reid said.

"The next Olympic Games I'm getting that medal. I am making myself proud and doing what I've always dreamt of."

What comes next in Glasgow, at the Commonwealth Games starting on 24 July, is all part of getting Reid ready for her next tilt at an Olympic title in Los Angeles in 2028.

"The Commonwealths are definitely important, it's a massive competition, but once you have experienced the Olympics, there is nothing like it," she added.

"I can see myself progressing and getting better. My confidence, the way I treat fights and training, I have a different mindset.

"I want to get as many good fights as a I can [in Glasgow] and progress through the competition, get more experience and bring the gold medal home."

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