European silver medal for Carley O’Herron

Rochfortbridge BC has a first European silver medal after Carley O’Herron performed exceptionally well in the European Schools championships in Turkey, boxing her way to the final.

Despite being one of the youngest competitors on the Irish team, O’Herron boxed really well in the competition. Carley received a bye to the semi-finals where she met a very fancied Ukrainian, who had won her quarterfinal bout against another strong Armenian girl in very convincing fashion.

But O’Herron fought very cleverly, jabbing very effectively to the body early on and taking the tall Ukrainian’s height and reach advantage away.

Carley showed great composure to go on and out-box the Ukrainian for the next two rounds, booking herself a place in the final.

The final itself was a great contest in which Carley came up against a home boxer, a Turkish girl who was tall, strong and a straight puncher who had little trouble in her earlier bouts. But that changed when she met the very determined O’Herron, who could very well have got the nod if the contest was held in another jurisdiction.

O’Herron repeatedly caught her opponent as she teed off, and made very good use of a sharp counter left hook every time her opponent threw a right cross, Carley couldn’t miss with it.

But it was not to be, and it was the home boxer who got her hand raised after the final bell. Good luck to her; it was a cracking contest.

This is just the start of a very promising career for Carley, one of a number of very talented boxing sisters. Indeed, her older sister Arlene could well have been on the team and is also a name to keep an eye out for.

But it’s Carley who brings home a very coveted European silver medal, the result of unwavering hard work and determination. This hard working, polite and respectful young lady deserves it, and what’s more she is young enough to be eligible to do it again next year. No doubt if she gets there, she will go all the way next time.

All in all, it was a proud moment for the O’Herron family and Rochfortbridge Boxing Club.