Mandurah boxer Sophie Ingledew is feeling “thrilled but focused” after being selected to fight for Western Australia at the Super 8 Series in Brisbane this month.
The Moorey’s Martial Arts pupil won her way into the WA team on the back of a dominant performance on the Lacey’s Fight Night card on Saturday night, and is now set to represent the state against fighters from Queensland, New South Wales and South Australia.
Sophie took the fight in the third round despite jumping up to the 57 kilogram weight division from her usual 54kg, and will now remain in the 57kg range for the Super 8s, which will see her fight three bouts in a bid to be crowned champion.
The tournament takes each state’s top fighter for eight different weight divisions, pitting them against boxers from other states in knockout tournaments.
Each win earns points for the fighter’s state, which are tallied at the end of the series with the top performing state taking home the gold.
At just 17-years-old, Sophie will enter the Super 8s as the youngest competitor to take to the ring, but she isn’t feeling intimidated by facing off against older opponents.
“I’ve fought against older bodies and more experienced opponents before so I’m feeling pretty comfortable about it,” she said.
“I know what I have to do and that’s just fight hard, smart and stick to what I do best.
“If I do all of those things then I’m pretty confident I can come away with a few wins for WA.”
It will be the second time Sophie has represented the state, after punching her way to a gold medal at the under 19 Australian Youth Boxing Championships in March.
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She said the pride of fighting for Western Australia wasn’t lost on her as she gears up for the Super 8s.
“It’s just such an honour to be able to fight for WA, knowing you can do your state proud,” she said.
“But it’s also great to be able to represent Moorey’s, my family and my friends on a bigger stage, because they’re the ones who have really helped me get there.”
Sophie will sweat through 10 days of training at an Oceania youth camp at the Australian Institute of Sport before putting her gloves on for the Super 8 Series, which kicks off on Friday, May 11 and ends on Sunday, May 13.
She is currently seeking sponsorship to help reach her goals. Anyone interested in jumping on board can call Samantha on 0407 254 654.
Justin Rake
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
Sports journalist for the Mandurah Mail, Australian Community Media, Fairfax Media.
