Lisa O'Rourke embracing the adversity as she targets ring return

Athletes Paul O Donovan, Olympic Rower, Sport Ireland, Paralympic Swimmer, Sport Ireland and Lisa O'Rourke, Irish Amateur Boxer, Sport Ireland pictured at the launch of the National Dairy Council's High-Performance Breakfast. Pic: Julian Behal

Go back 12 months and Lisa O’Rourke was in Chicago winning a World Hyrox title with her sister Aoife. One of the high points for a pair who once fought for world titles on the same bill and on the same day.

The last year has been more of a challenge.

Last September saw her fall one bout shy of a medal at the World Boxing Championships in Liverpool when she was edged on a split decision by number one seed Lekeisha Pergoliti in the 70kg class.

Less than two months later and the Roscommon fighter was five seconds from the end of a round when she threw a punch that landed awkwardly. The result was a broken metacarpal on her hand that ultimately needed surgery.

That cost her a shot at the Irish Elite Nationals in January and a handful of international tournaments have had to pass her by since as she counts down the days to the end of this month when she can start to box competitively again.

“I’m still not fully back in the ring, I’m on bags and pads at the moment. I missed out on the nationals, and obviously there's been plenty of action for the team.

"They've been going abroad so it's been hard that way. But, look, it could be worse timing. I'd rather get it all right now and then hopefully it'll stay quiet for the foreseeable.” 

The metacarpal was actually a re-break.

It happened first time around in October of 2023 when she was trying to make a lighter 66kg class that never felt natural for her, and made her realise the importance of getting the right food intake and of nutrition in general.

If the timing last December wasn’t great then it wasn’t awful either.

Much worse would be an equivalent injury next year when the Olympic qualifiers swing around. Or a year later again when the LA Games loom on the horizon. As it is, she will have to climb a few rungs just to get a shot at the next Olympics now.

Evelyn Igharo has emerged in O’Rourke’s weight class and, as reigning national champion, is technically first in line to go to the European Championships in Bulgaria in September. O’Rourke rates the Dundalk boxer and sees her progress as only being good for herself.

“When I had this bit of a setback, and her coming in, it really has been one of the best things ever because I haven't had someone on my tail up until this point,” said the 24-year-old who won World Championship gold in 2022.

“And if anything, it's going to make me better. So it just shows you that the standard is getting really high in Ireland for women's boxing, and it's great to see it. So, look, whatever is for me won't pass me.” 

O’Rourke has been taking advantage of the flexibility that comes with her unforced absence from the ring. Like when she accompanied her sister Aoife, another former world champion, onto The Tommy Tiernan Show this year.

Tiernan didn’t appear to know anything about them. That included their age given he guessed them to be in and around 30. That aside, it proved to be a unique and enjoyable experience for the two sisters.

“Oh yeah, I had to give him a dig on that one. You go in for like an hour nearly, 40 minutes, and you're just chilling, chatting, and you get comfortable. And then when you have a sister, you're just bouncing off each other. So yeah we enjoyed it.” 

The bit of heightened attention away from the canvas is part and parcel of their gig now. They have won a combined eight major senior medals already and received the Freedom of Roscommon at a special ceremony in December of 2022.

It was another sister, Aisling, who was centre of attention more recently when she walked up the aisle. Lisa, who sported the cast having broken that bone just days earlier, Aoife and two other siblings, Ailish and Aine, acted as her bridesmaids.

The focus now is the next Irish Nationals and use that as a springboard for the Olympic qualifiers in 2027.

“Get over this and get recovered right” she said, and it all falls into place, hopefully.”