Meet Get Inspired ambassador Nicola Adams

Olympic champion Nicola Adams hopes to get more people into sport as an ambassador for BBC Sport's Get Inspired campaign.

Numbers of women taking part in boxing have risen by 50% since London 2012, where Adams won flyweight gold on the Olympic debut of the women's sport.

"It is amazing to think that so many people have genuinely been inspired by me, and all the other women that boxed at 2012, to take up the sport," said the 30-year-old.

"I'm really excited to be an ambassador for Get Inspired. Getting people involved in sport is so important to me and if I can inspire people to go to their local gym, or join a club, then that's great.

"Boxing definitely changed my life, so I've seen first-hand the good sport can do for people."

BBC Sport's new nationwide campaign seeks to inspire people to try new sports and activities, through films, features, guides, and links to events and clubs across the UK.

Adams believes London 2012 has given her sport a firm platform from which to build, after years spent being overlooked by the British population.

"Before the Games, everyone was sceptical about women's boxing. A lot of people I knew had never seen women's boxing. It has changed massively," she told BBC Sport.

"Everybody took it to their hearts. They saw the technical skill and really saw boxing for what it is. Boxing is a great sport to keep fit, it's exciting, great for motivation and confidence and it can take you all over the world.

"Boxing has given me drive, discipline and something to look forward to. It's also given me lots of friends over the years, as well as a structure and a career.

"I've had lots of kids and adults tell me they've taken up boxing since the Games, for fitness and to compete as well. There could be another Nicola Adams on the way!"

A recently published Sport England survey reported that the number of women in the UK taking part in boxing, at least once per week, had risen from 23,300 (October 2011-October 2012) to 35,100 (April 2012-April 2013).

More than 50,000 British women now box at least once per month, the survey added, up from 36,900 over the same period.