50 worldwide contenders for 2012: Katie Taylor

Boxing (lightweight)

Ireland

Born: 02/06/86

Career highlights

Ireland's Taylor earned her fourth successive world title in 2012 and was also named the best boxer of the tournament.

Her win over China's Cheng Dong in the 2010 final was her 100th victory from 106 bouts.

She has also won five consecutive European Championship gold medals.

Other career

She began boxing at the age of 12 and made boxing history when she fought in Ireland's first ever officially sanctioned women's bout at the tender age of just 15. Her coach at the St. Fergal's Boxing Club in Bray is her father Peter, who was 1986 Irish senior light heavyweight champion.

Taylor doubles up as a football player who is a regular in the Irish women's national side.

The Amateur International Boxing Association president, Dr Ching-Kuo Wu, has constantly praised the impact the devout Christian and teetotaller has had on boxing and credits her with helping to get women's boxing included as an Olympic sport.

Did you know?

In April 2011 she starred in a video for a remix of Tinie Tempah's Simply Unstoppable song to help publicise a soft drinks manufacturer's campaign.