Boxing golden girl champions sport for local women and girls

Aspiring local boxer Isabel Mitchell is soaring high after her win at the Golden Girl Boxing Championships in Sweden this month.

The 18-year-old boxing champion – who trains at the Brighton & Hove Boxing Gym at the King Alfred Leisure Centre – competed with 500 female amateur boxers to claim victory in Borås on 1 February.

Isabel has shared her story as part of our Sport Lifts Her Higher, which aims to increase female participation in sport, celebrate role models and build a long-term legacy for women and girls of all ages across Brighton & Hove.

Found boxing by accident - but never looked back

Isabel said: “I never expected to be competing at this level when I started boxing 7 years ago. I got into boxing by accident after I went along to watch my younger brother train. Something just clicked in me, and they let me have a go.

“I started off training at other clubs in East Sussex, but it got to a point where there was no route for progression. Some of the clubs were ‘old school’ and they were always putting the boys ahead of me even though I was training and working harder than them.

“I started training at the Brighton & Hove Boxing Gym last year and they welcomed me with open arms. I was being treated like a champion before I’d even won anything.”

Helped with confidence and mental health

Isabel continued: “It’s a very welcoming environment and they have female-only classes that makes it even better.

“Boxing has given me a lot of confidence, I used to be shy and introverted, but when I realised I can fight and most people can’t it helped a lot with my confidence and mental health.”

Isabel has been actively competing since 2020. Last year, Isabel’s career reached new heights after she won the silver medal at the England Boxing National Youths Championships in February and won the Harringay Box Cup at Alexander Palace in June.

She went on to represent England in an International Youth Dual against Scotland and won the National Association of Boys and Girls Clubs Boxing Championships in November 2025.

Opportunities for girls are much better than they used to be

Isabel said: “My ambition is to progress as an amateur and eventually turn over to professional.

“Opportunities for girls and women are much better than they used to be – I used to always spar with boys because back in the day you couldn’t get a female sparring session for love nor money.

“I’m really grateful there are more opportunities now, the Women’s Aspire programme is great, and there are a lot more female-only tournaments – there has been a lot of growth but there’s still more to be done.”

Gender gap still needs tackling

In Brighton & Hove, a recent survey found only 15% of secondary-school-age girls had done an hour of physical activity every day for the past week, compared with 27% of boys. In primary schools, 22% of girls met that target, compared with 34% of boys.

However, more than half of girls surveyed said watching professional athletes inspired them to play, and two-thirds agreed that seeing diverse athletes taking part showed sport was for everyone.

Just give it a go

Isabel added: “I would tell anyone who’s thinking about boxing to just give it a go.

“Even when things are really tough and hard, boxing can help you overcome them, it’s given me that grit and determination that get you through tough times.

“I used to struggle with panic attacks in the ring, I’d have to lie down on the floor in the changing rooms for 20 minutes to try to calm down and stop crying.

“Thanks to the support from my family who encouraged me to carry on, I was able to overcome my own mental health struggles through boxing.”

Clubs asked to support our campaign

As part of our Sport Lifts Her Higher campaign, we're asking local clubs and activity providers to complete a survey, which will help us better understand the current participation levels and any barriers for women and girls participating in sport and physical activities.

Activity providers and local clubs are also invited to share details of their sessions and success stories via the survey.

During the campaign, we'll showcase work being done by clubs and share stories of local role models through our social media channels to promote the wide range of sporting opportunities available across the city.