The competition starts to heat up as training commences for the 32 boxing hopefuls who are taking part in the event Strictly Come Boxing 2011, organised by the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce. With each participant eyeing up their rivals at training sessions which take place every Tuesday and Thursday for six weeks, this year’s Strictly Come Boxing proves to be one event not to be missed.
The first training session took place last Tuesday the 1st of February and among the attendees was Boyles Sports very own Rocky, Paddy Casey. Twenty four year old, Paddy Casey holds the position of Customer Service Supervisor in Boyles Sports of Dundalk. After the success of his colleague in last year’s event, Paddy jumped at the chance to put his name forward to enter the 2011 Strictly Come Boxing event. “The training is tough but it’s all in the name of a good cause as the funds are helping raise money for The Birches Alzheimer Day Care Centre,” says Paddy Casey “and when I have all my workmates, friends and family supporting me on the night, all the hard work will be worth it”.
Paddy played football when he was in his teenage years, but now he keeps his fitness levels up through going to the gym or swimming in his local pool. “I go to the gym three times a week and try to make it to the swimming pool twice a week,” says Paddy. Boxing is in Paddy’s blood with heavy weight champion, Tom Sharkey (1893-1904) as a distant relative. Paddy’s colleague Andy Jones is also training up for the 2011 event “a little bit of internal competition does nobody any harm,” Paddy jokes.
Million Dollar Babe, Louise Reilly from Acorn Financial Services, was doing it for the girls at the training session last Tuesday. Louise is Life and Pensions Coordinator at Acorn Financial Services. “I approached, Cormac Woods Managing Director of Acorn Financial Services, about sponsoring me for the Strictly Come Boxing event back in November of last year and he jumped at the chance,” said Louise O’Reilly “I missed out on getting my tickets last year, so when I received an email from Dundalk Chamber of Commerce stating that the event was reoccurring I decided I would like to enter this year”.
Louise was formerly a member of the Reserve Defend Forces, but she left five years ago due to work and family constraints. She believes there are a lot of similarities between boxing and being a member of the Reserves, “agility and endurance are two of the qualities you must have to succeed in the Reserves as you can never zone out; and these qualities are important in the sport of boxing also. The training sessions are very intense but the fear of losing my match will spur me on” says Louise.
The event will take place on the 11th March 2011 in the Fairways Hotel at 7:30pm. A standing ticket costs €20 and a seated ring side ticket cost €25, these can be purchased at the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce or the Fairways Hotel. Tickets for the fight night are already flying out the door and there are only a few seated tickets remaining, to buy a ticket contact Brenda McGeeney at the Dundalk Chamber of Commerce on Tel: 042 9336343 or email her at brenda@dundalk.ie.
