Ireland’s Olympic golden girl Katie Taylor says the whole journey was worth it

Sacrifices pay off for gold medal Olympian despite giving up social life

On Sunday, just three days after Katie Taylor won Ireland’s first gold medal in over a decade, the Olympic champion boxer sat down exclusively with the Irish Mail to discuss her journey to the top of the Olympic podium.

“It has surpassed all my dreams,” Taylor said of becoming Olympic champion. “Everything now is worthwhile – the social life, the boyfriends. It doesn’t feel like a sacrifice now. I loved doing it and I trained twice a day six days a week and it just didn’t leave time for anything else.”

A sacrifice, indeed. Dedicating herself to boxing, Katie Taylor has had no boyfriends, no post-Leaving Cert holiday, no J1 visits and not a drop of alcohol - things that many other Irish her age are well accustomed to.

Her sacrifices, however, of course paid off in the end.

“That is exactly what I wanted and I don’t feel like I was missing out on anything. And I am very happy with my life, sitting here talking to you as Olympic champion, it’s incredible. And no boyfriends or J1 summers could give me that.”

Just days outside of winning her final match and clinching the gold medal for Ireland in the Women's Lightweight (60kg) boxing, Taylor still finds the entire experience surreal.

“At the time it happened, I was just all over the place because I had pictured winning the gold so many times in my head that when it actually happened it didn’t seem real. I’m a bit more emotional about it now I have had time to process it, because this is a dream come true. It was an incredible moment for me and my family.’

However, now that Katie’s wildest dream has become a reality, she is planning on taking some very well deserved R&R: “I’m going to go away for a holiday somewhere hot for a few weeks with some friends and I’m looking forward to just hanging out on a beach and just not thinking about boxing,” said Taylor.

While she’s looking forward to taking a breather from the sport that has dominated her life for some years now, she still has a big imposing question to answer - what to do next.

“I’m not going to make any decisions now for a few weeks,” she insists. “I have to decide about going pro or staying amateur – but that can wait a while.”

Taylor explained that for the time being, Ireland’s latest gold medal is locked away in her hotel room suite, only taken out at night when she sleeps with it -  partly to make sure she isn’t just dreaming.

“I slept with the medal under my pillow,” said Taylor. “‘Actually I woke in the night and I thought it was a dream and and put it on to make sure. It still hasn’t sunk in. And every time I see pictures from home it just makes it all that more special. I have been emotional all day. I have had a few cries, all right, but they are tears of joy.”

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Nster.com