Who is Kellie Harrington? Five things to know about the Olympic gold medal-winning boxer

Kellie Harrington made history in the Paris 2024 Olympics, becoming the first Irish female athlete to win a medal at more than one Olympic Games. But what else do we know about Kellie?

Kellie Harrington with her gold medal from the Tokyo 2020 Olympics. Picture: INPHO/Tommy Dickson

Gold medal

Every Irish person will remember when 34-year-old Kellie won her first medal – a gold – at the Tokyo Olympics 2021 when she outboxed Brazilian Beatriz Ferreira. She came up against Ferreira again in the semi-finals at the Paris Olympics, and beat her once more to reach the final, which will take place on August 6.

Wedding bells

Kellie Harrington with Mandy Loughln. Picture: Colin Keegan, Collins Dublin

Kellie married her long-term partner Mandy Loughlin in April 2022. The couple have been together since 2009 when they met at a training club in Bray. They had a low-key wedding in The Old Spot in Sandymount, Dublin, with their three dogs in attendance, including Nidge and Macy.

In May 2024 Kellie took to Instagram with the sad news that Macy had passed away. The couple were heartbroken by Macy's loss; she had been with them for almost 15 years. "To some people, she was just a dog, but to us, she was our best friend and companion", Kellie wrote on her Instagram post.

Working life

Kellie Harrington. Picture: INPHO/James Crombie

Kellie has been vocal about how much her part-time job at St Vincent’s Hospital where she works as a cleaner has helped her to stay grounded. Despite winning Olympic gold Kellie continues to work in the hospital; she has worked there for over 11 years. She credits her colleagues as helping her to have the time off she needed for her training.

DIY

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As well as being an Olympic gold medal boxer, Kellie has also shown herself to be a dab hand at DIY. She has given her Instagram followers a glimpse into her and Mandy’s new home in Dublin, where the couple have transformed a Georgian house, complete with a lilac-coloured door and exposed red brick.

It takes a village

Kellie Harrington's homecoming from Tokyo. Picture: Conor McCabe Photography.

Originally from Portland Row in Dublin’s north inner city, Kellie has enjoyed the support from the local community throughout her boxing career. Her Olympic bouts have been shown live on a big screen in Diamond Park with hundreds showing up to cheer her on. Her final match will also be shown live, again in Diamond Park, on August 6. Kellie will face Chinese boxer Yang Wenlu.