'ADHD helps massively with boxing' - super-bantamweight Gallagher

Luton's Tysie Gallagher has two defeats and eight wins on her record

"I want to show my daughter how to be a strong woman. Every obstacle that's been thrown at me, I get through it, because I'm a strong woman."

British and Commonwealth champion Tysie Gallagher has a history of not giving in - a quality she is determined to pass on to her daughter.

One of Gallagher's earliest challenges was choosing between two promising futures: a career with Luton Town Football Club or dedicating herself fully to boxing.

"Everything was clashing," she says, having been scouted by the professional football club at a young age.

"I'd get injured at football on Saturday then I couldn't train boxing on Monday.

"Everyone was so shocked that I chose boxing, even I was shocked, but it just felt right.

"I always remember that first day in the boxing gym, thinking 'how was I never even interested in this before?' - because I absolutely loved it."

Gallagher's introduction to boxing came at the age of 11 when her mother took her to a class at a local community centre in Luton.

The goal was to help channel what Gallagher describes as 'hyperactive behaviour'.

"I was full of energy, and there was nothing I could do that would take my energy away," she says.

Around the same time she began discovering her passion for boxing, Gallagher was diagnosed with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).

Gallagher, 26, is one of 20% of people in the UK who are neurodivergent - people whose brain differences affect how they process information.

ADHD can affect the brain's ability to plan, prioritise, focus and execute tasks. Key characteristics include inattentiveness, impulsivity and hyperactivity.

"ADHD actually helps massively with boxing because I can get so hyper-focused when I'm in the ring," Gallagher says.

"If I want to learn and I'm enjoying it, I'll be so focused and obsessed that I'll improve quickly."

Despite her dedication, Gallagher's progress in the ring was initially hindered by a lack of female sparring partners.

As a result, she was forced to travel across the country searching for competition and often found herself doing "hard rounds" with boys.

"Those spars with the lads just gave me so much confidence," she says. "I could walk into any room, anywhere, with confidence because of what those spars did for me.

"I've got a thick skin because I've been around male dominated sports and gyms, it's just shaped me to be that strong person."

Gallagher's strength of character was further tested when her initial coaching team refused to support her desire to compete at the amateur level.

"The gym I was at didn't like the idea of girls fighting," she says. "They didn't mind the training, but they didn't want me to fight."

Undeterred, Gallagher eventually found a new club that welcomed her with open arms.

"They took me in as if I was part of the family," she reflects.

'I didn't know if I was ever going to box again'

Gallagher is already a world title challenger, losing to then WBO champion Segolene Lefebvre last November

It was at her new club that Gallagher's talent began to flourish. At 13 years old she won her first national title, claiming the coveted Golden Gloves, and became the number one female boxer in England in her weight class.

"That one was special," she says.

But just as her amateur career was peaking when she was 19 years old, life took an unexpected turn.

"I had a few weeks off over the summer, and I fell pregnant," Gallagher says.

"I just didn't know if I was ever going to box again. A lot of people were telling me I wouldn't box again."

In the early stages of motherhood, Gallagher's passion for boxing lay dormant.

"I was in a bit of a baby bubble," she says.

"I wasn't really interested in getting back into boxing, but then after about a year I thought, 'I need to get back to it badly'."

It was during the Covid pandemic that Gallagher's drive returned.

"I started sparring again and everything just started coming together. It clicked - this is what I was meant for," she says.

Since turning professional under coach Tony Pill in 2021, Gallagher has claimed both British and Commonwealth titles at super-bantamweight, and fell just short in a world title attempt late last year.

On 27 September in Sheffield, she will defend her Commonwealth title against Tori-Ellis Willetts.

The sacrifices Gallagher is making in camp, she believes, will not only prepare her for the fight but also serve to inspire her daughter.

"I'm putting all these hours in, I'm missing out on parties, and when it was her birthday I couldn't even have a slice of cake," she says.

"But in the back of my head, I've got to do this for her - to give her a good life and to make sure she's proud of me.

"It's also showing her how to be strong when she grows up."