‘Stinger Steph’ won’t pull her punches
Twenty-year-old Stephanie O’Gorman from Macroom is one of just six women who, next week, enter a gruelling training programme for a boxing spectacular, The Battle of Bandon.
The event will take place in May before an audience of more than 1,000 in a 5,000sq ft marquee in the town.
So far, 34 wannabe Rocky Balboas have signed up for the training programme, run by former Olympic boxer Cathal O’Grady. It kicks off this Thursday at 7.30pm.
The wannabe boxers will learn the ropes in a specially kitted-out boxing gym based in a vacant premises at Bandon Retail Park which has been donated by a local businessman.
Most are novices, though a few, like Stephanie — who has six years’ experience and two silver medals from the All-Ireland boxing championships behind her — are more advanced.
Over the next six weeks, the fledgling fighters, who come from all sectors of the community and include everyone from students to carpenters, solicitors, electricians, shop assistants and office workers — will learn the basic techniques required to enter the ring.
O’Grady, a former professional boxer and MD of White Collar Boxing.ie, explains: “The six-week training programme will be tough, because it’s a precursor to the Battle of Bandon. Six weeks is a short learning curve but they’ll get the basics.”
His company stages events and fundraisers and regularly works with people who are not particularly fit. But he warns the Battle of Bandon participants will have to be “relatively fit” even before they start the programme because of the short lead-in to fight night on May 3. “They will train twice a week. We’re setting up an authentic boxing gym complete with ring and bags in Bandon,” he said.
O’Grady will train a number of participants who are based in Dublin, while all Cork-based Battle of Bandon hopefuls will train under coaches Seanie Barrett and Gerry Sheehan. On May 3, audiences can enjoy a total of 18 fights.
Male boxers will do battle over three 90-second rounds while the women will box three 60-second rounds.
* Organised by Bandon Rugby Club, the event aims to raise €30,000 to help buy floodlights for the club.
