28-year old Slacks Creek resident Shannon O’Connell (1-0) first started boxing during 2003 in Adelaide. She hurt her back playing netball and the physio told her to take a year off so Shannon went down to her local gym to keep fit.

The career started there when she met Terry Fox who used to race speedway with her dad before he passed away.

“My dad died when I was only 2. When I started boxing I was determined to make his name proud and believed he was with me every step of the way. I had his initials “KO” on my mouth guard and still do.”

“My mum died just over 4 years ago and that was tough but it just made me stronger and more determined to succeed.”

With women’s boxing being brought into the Olympics for the first time it would have been a good chance for O’Connell to claim a gold medal but she made the decision to turn pro in December of 2011 where she stopped Kelly O’Doherty in round 2. She tells Aus-Boxing, “My decision to turn professional was a hard one and one that I guess I should have made a little earlier.”

“I had done a lot of travelling last year with boxing which was amazing and I learnt a lot and became a better boxer for it but I missed my kids like crazy every time. Leading up to the Olympics there is going to be a lot more travel involved for months at a time and I just couldn’t do that to my kids.”

“My son starts year 1 this year and I want to be there for him through it. I also became a single mum last year and am trying to work two jobs plus train and I wasn’t enjoying it anymore. I put too much pressure and expectation on myself.”

A state title shot awaits Shannon in 2012 who will fight for the QLD title on March 2, “In 2012 I plan on getting as many fights in as I can. I already have a QLD title lined up for March 2 and then another fight only a couple of weeks later.”

“I want to be the best and go the right way about getting there. I want to be remembered for being a boxer with skill, style and heart however I will take my time to get there and not rush into things that I am not ready for.”

The majority of female boxers have trouble being matched in Australia with a lack of opponents but since turning pro this has been quite the opposite for O’Connell, “As funny as it sounds there is actually more girls around in my weight in the pro’s than the amateurs. I was always giving away weight or having to travel to get a fight as an amateur."

O’Connell would like to thank her sponsor BioFlex Supps for their support and for any sponsorship requests please contact her direct or phone coach Chris McCullen on 0411 308 807.