Boxer Charley Davison on turning setbacks into strength

EARLY YEARS

Tell us about your first success in your sport?
I would say it was when I came back after seven years away and won a national title. Since then, I’ve been selected to box for GB, I was fortunate enough to be fast tracked for Olympic qualifiers and then I went to the Olympics in Tokyo.

GRASSROOTS

What would you say to someone thinking about trying your sport? 
100% give it a go. You’re not going to lose anything, and you have everything to gain. It’s going to boost your confidence; you meet new people and the sport itself is brilliant.

What do you wish you’d known when you first started out?
A bit more about nutrition. I’ve had to learn on the job about what’s good to eat, what isn’t good to eat and what’s going to fuel me for the session.

What initiatives are happening to get people into your sport?
A lot of boxers go into different schools, different events, youth clubs and talk about boxing. Some put on free sessions to encourage people to come and try it out. Boxers going in and doing pad sessions and talking about their experiences helps others go into their local gym because it is daunting at first, but before you know it you’re one big family.

Which sportspeople do you admire now, and why?
I’d say people who have children. Natasha Jonas was on the GB squad and then she went and had a daughter but has now returned and gone into professional boxing. Any sportswomen to be honest, any women out there giving their all because women’s boxing hasn’t been as big as men’s. Obviously, you’ve got Katie Taylor paving the pathway now.

TRAINING

How often do you train?
I’m in Sheffield, in camp, four days a week and whenever at home I’m doing my cardio sessions and anything I might have missed in Sheffield. I’ll train at least six days a week.

Describe a typical training session.
We’ll weigh-in first thing, before going to do our cardio which is typically a run. Then it’s a couple of hours off to refuel, recover before going in to do boxing sessions. We’ll then recover and refuel again, before going back in the evening and finishing up with a strength and conditioning session.

What is your favourite training session/exercise/drill?
I’d definitely say sparring and pads. They’re my main two that I enjoy the most.

Best piece of advice from your coach?
To enjoy what you’re doing when you’re doing it. When you enjoy what you’re doing it flows naturally and you’re able to relax.

Which part of your body suffers the most in your sport?
My legs. Between the cardio, footwork and strength and conditioning sessions, they definitely are in pain the most.

What’s the toughest thing about being an athlete?
Mentality. I think you have to be mentally strong to be an athlete. There are so many aspects you have to cover, physically, mentally, emotionally it’s hard.

What’s the hardest part/skill in your sport to master?
Adjusting between circuits. When you box internationally its so different to when you box for your club. You have to adapt your game and add little bits to your armoury. It clicks eventually but you have to keep going over it to make it click.

MOTIVATION

What’s your training mantra?
I’m not sure. When I’m having a hard day or I need to find that drive or avoid a chocolate bar or go on a run, I think about the Olympic qualifiers.

Do you have a mental exercise you complete or something/someone you think about?
I like to put my headphones on and get in the zone. I think about my family, my kids and that gives me the drive and determination that I need.

What’s been your greatest sporting moment so far?
It would have to be when I qualified for the Tokyo Olympics.

How do you deal with defeats/setbacks?
You always learn from them. I believe that it’s never a defeat or a loss because you always gain from that defeat or decision. I think you take more from a loss than you do a win. If you win you don’t tend to go back to the gym and think what did I do wrong, whereas I do when I lose.

What do you do to freshen-up your training routine?
When we’ve boxed at a tournament we come back and go over the bouts and we have to sit down and talk about went well and what didn’t and it freshens you. We’ll then have our strengths and weaknesses on a whiteboard when we get into the ring and we can practice either or.

What performance foods do you enjoy most and why?
I just like the simple chicken and rice. The feel-good foods such as porridge in the morning or yoghurt and fruit. When you’re coming up to the tournament I believe if you eat good, you’ll do good. I feel like when I eat all the bad things, I definitely feel sluggish.

NUTRITION

What are you go-to feel-good treats?
I get these protein ice creams or protein yoghurts and puddings. There are some low calory chocolates too. There’s a good selection out there now.

How does nutrition improve your performance?
100%… you can feel it. If I ate all the bad stuff, I’d feel really sluggish, I wouldn’t perform and I’d feel a lot slower than I would if I was fuelled with all the right stuff like chicken and rice, eggs, porridge… that just give you the right, slow-releasing energy.

Any go-to fitness tips you can recommend?
Get as much cardio in as you can but make sure to mix it up with long runs and sprints. Running is important for the boxing side of things, it’s key to fitness when you’re inside the ring.

What’s the hardest skill in your sport to perfect?
It depends on what type of boxer you are. Everybody is good at something within boxing and to do the opposite of that is always hard but if you keep doing it, keep going over it, it finally clicks and it’s no longer than hard.

Advice on preparing mentally to get involved.
Don’t put any pressure on yourself, whether you’re going to the boxing club or gym… just walk through those doors and any club will welcome you and encourage you into their gym. Everyone gets nervous, it’s just natural.

FUN STUFF

Can you share three quirky facts not many people know about you?
I’m a chocoholic, I’m a big lover of trainers – every time I get paid I buy trainers! And I don’t like flying.

Are there any sports you aren’t good at?
I’m not too strong at swimming. And then I’d say golf. I used to go play golf with my dad when I was younger, and I never got the hang of it.

How do you unwind away from sport?
I’ll switch off and spend time with my children. We’ll go do activities and things outside of the house or we’ll watch films or something. When I come home, and I’ve got time off, I’ll maybe do a run, but I’ll just spend time with my children.

What’s the strangest thing that’s happened during competition?
When you’re warmed up and ready to go and they push your bout back. Then you have to go and adjust, get warmed up and psyched up again.