Women In Sport: Tracey Duggan making up for lost time in the boxing ring

Tracey Duggan is a full-time personal trainer and professional fighter.

When did you start playing your sport?
I started fighting around four years ago. I had my first fight back in 2018 and I'm obsessed ever since.

Did you as a child have any sports women that you looked up to?
Not really. It wasn’t until my late teens early twenties I started to hear about Katie Taylor. There wasn’t many women in the main stream media where I could say as a young kid, ‘I want to follow in her footsteps’. It's not like it is today. Today women are getting more recognition and more media coverage and that’s attracting more people to games and events.

What does your game day routine look like?
Fight day is actually pretty chilled (apart from the obvious nerves). I wake up fresh and hungry from cutting weight all week so I'm happy to be able to eat carbs again after weighing in the day before the fight. I usually go for a good carb-fuelled breakfast with some friends and then try and clear my mind before I head to the venue. Usually I’m just focusing on keeping my mood positive and going through sequences in my mind. I’m visualising the fight round by round so I’m ready for anything that may play out. It's always good to have a gameplan but it doesn’t always go to plan so expecting the unexpected helps. When I get to the venue I start getting warmed up. I’m stretching my body and listening to music or just chatting with my team. When it's time to get my hands wrapped that’s when I’m really getting in the zone. The mood shifts and my mindset changes. Now I know its almost time to make that walk into battle. I always listen to the Haka on my headphones particularly the All Blacks vs France back in 2011 at the World Cup. I love what it represents - Strength, Pride and Unity. Getting hyped up before war. It really gets my blood flowing.

What has been your most memorable moment in your sport?
My professional debut when all my family and friends came out to see me. Especially having my mother in the crowd watching me win by second round TKO, that was a proud moment for me.

Tracey also trains people of all levels and no experience is needed to start. She focuses on weight loss and fitness and building strong mindsets with clients. The sessions range from boxing, Muay Thai to resistance training and anaerobic fitness. It is a great way for beginners or athletes looking to improve on their S&C. Contact Tracey on 085-2146738