Girls pack a punch

A BROKEN nose, cauliflower ears and a face that only a mother could love. That's the image of a typical boxer. But Charlotte Bryson is anything but typical.

First, she's not a bloke (the name is something of a giveaway). Second, she's only 17. And third, she is enviably pretty.

She started boxing training two years ago as a way of building her confidence. Now she trains twice a week, regularly sparring with men in the ring, and would love to go head-to-head with another woman in a proper fight. Her dad, however, has other ideas.

"He doesn't want his little girl to get her nose broken," said Charlotte. "We went to see Million Dollar Baby the other night and there's this really gruesome scene where Hilary Swank has her broken nose pushed back into place.

"My dad was like 'see, that could be you'. So I don't think I'll be fighting any time soon."

She was impressed with the film because the fighting looks realistic and it shows just how hard you have to train to get into the ring. But is it worth the effort?

"It's really addictive," said Charlotte, who hopes to train as a secondary school teacher after completing four A-levels at York College. "You get such a high from it - it's like a drug.

"I've tried going to a regular gym, but I found it really boring. It was like pulling teeth.

"I love exercise, but there's got to be a reason for it or some goal to aim for. Just plodding along on a treadmill seems pointless."

Instead she works hard for about an hour and a half twice a week knocking seven bells out of punchbags, completing gruelling gym circuits and sparring with men, usually six-footers who tower over her in the ring.

During the warmer months she also goes on long runs across the city, stopping half way to sprint up and down the steps at Clifford's Tower - ten times.

She is one of five female members of the 80-strong club, and the only woman who actually spars.

"I first sparred with a boy who was a bit younger than me, and he was so careful and gentle that we both just ended up laughing," she said.

"I felt a bit guilty about hitting someone at first, but I soon got over it. It got to the point where I thought 'he's hitting me, so I'll hit him back'."

The worst injury Charlotte has had in the ring is a fat lip, and she proudly claims to have given more fat lips and bloody noses than she has received.

Boxing training is not about inflicting injuries on your opponent though. It's about improving your fitness levels, learning control and increasing your self-confidence. It's also about making new friends.

"When I joined the club, I wasn't just the youngest girl, I was the only girl," said Charlotte, who has her own special pair of pink boxing gloves. "But I was made welcome and felt really comfortable from day one. There's a competitive atmosphere, but it's not aggressive.

"Now, going to the gym is like going home for me. I look forward to it. They are my other family."

In that case, Lewis Gell is probably her 'other dad'. He runs York Boxing Club in Layerthorpe, where Charlotte trains, with his business partner Pete Goodrick.

The club takes boys and girls from seven years old. No-one is ever forced to spar, but anyone can give it a try if they feel ready.

"It's a very controlled situation," Lewis explained. "It's rare for someone to get hurt.

"There's no point fighting hard and aggressively when you're sparring. It's supposed to be a learning process, and you only learn when you are in control. We leave all that macho nonsense to the idiots out on the streets."

Most women turn to boxing as a fitness booster or as a form of self-defence, but some - like Charlotte - are intrigued by the idea of taking on a real opponent in a real bout. "If a woman wants to fight, that's no problem," said Lewis, whose club is affiliated to the Amateur Boxing Union. "The only problem is that, unfortunately, opponents can be hard to find.

"Mismatches happen in women's boxing, but we simply won't put up with it. If a woman is getting into the ring for the first time, her opponent has to be a first-timer too."

Boxing builds long, lean muscles, which makes it ideal for women who want to tone up rather than bulk up. It allows you to train at your own pace, so you don't have to be super-fit to start with.

"We work with all fitness levels," said Lewis. "The only thing you have to do is walk through the door. My advice is to give it a go. You'll either love it or hate it."

Charlotte obviously loves it. She watches boxing on the box whenever it's on; she reads boxing biographies (her favourite is Chris Eubank's); and she made her whole family go to see Million Dollar Baby as soon as it was on.

Looking at her now, it's difficult to believe she ever had a problem with confidence and self-esteem. She is lively, determined and disarmingly honest in her opinions.

She believes this turnaround in her life is all down to boxing.

"I was not happy at school," she said. "I spent half my life looking down at my shoes and trying not to get noticed. Boxing has made my confidence soar. No-one pushes me around anymore. And if they do, I push them right back."

York Boxing Club is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Friday evenings, and Saturday afternoons. It costs £4 a session (£2 for 17s and under). For details, phone Lewis Gell on 07734 228 473 or email lewisgell@hotmail.com.

Updated: 10:33 Tuesday, February 08, 2005