Meet the 41-year-old world champion single mum balancing boxing with work life
Fighting was never on Nina Hughes' mind when she first turned up to a boxercise class, but she is now a world champion balancing life as a single mum with a part-time job.
Hughes, 41, only turned professional two years ago but captured a world title in just her fifth fight. The mum-of-two defended her belt against Katie Healy last June and is now targeting a fight against fellow world champion Miyo Yoshida, who shockingly beat Ebanie Bridges on short-notice last month.
After taking up boxing to keep fit, Hughes was eventually encouraged by her first coach Chris Okoh to test herself in the ring. Hughes went on to become a four-time amateur national champion and only narrowly missed out on a call-up to box at the 2012 Olympic Games in London.
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"When I missed out on the Olympics to Nicola Adams, I come off the GB squad and tried to carry on training. I looked into turning pro but there was no opportunities for women. I lost interest and didn't have the motivation anymore to carry on, I stopped boxing for three years and then put on loads of weight after having my first child," she told Mirror Fighting.
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"I thought, 'I've got to get back in the gym'. I started training again and motivated myself to have one fight, that's all I thought I would do. I was training through my second pregnancy because I knew I wanted to carry on, I think I was back in the gym three weeks later and boxed three months later!"
Hughes made the decision to turn professional at the age of 39 when Matchroom Boxing started televising more women's fights during the Covid-19 lockdown period three years ago. Even since becoming world champion, Hughes still works part-time as a secretary and trains on her lunch breaks.
"Ever since I had my kids, I reduced work to three days a week anyway. They have been really supportive and I work from home two days a week, so I train on my lunch breaks. The one day I'm in the office, I run around London on my lunch break. That way I'm training twice a day, once at lunch and once in the evening," she added.
"Everyone always says to me 'You're a world champion, why are you still working?' but it's money isn't it? Womens boxing, you're not earning anywhere near what men are earning and you only get paid when you fight. I did consider giving my job, but luckily I didn't because I only boxed once this year."
Hughes only gives herself one day a week to chill out and joked she compromises for the lack of time she gets with her children by rewarding them if she wins her fights. "I have to say to them 'Mummy has to do this, and when mummy I take them to the toy shop!' They understand it requires a lot of hard work to get to where I am," she said.
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