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Savannah Marshall: Hartlepool is home but I’ve learned to enjoy my lifestyle Savannah Marshall: Hartlepool is home but I’ve learned to enjoy my lifestyle
(about 1 hour later)
For Savannah Marshall, the buildup to defending the world title she won on her 21st birthday in China two years ago has been the worst part. “I hate flying, I’m really bad,” says the six-foot middleweight from Hartlepool before one of her last sparring sessions at the Great Britain boxing squad’s training base in Sheffield.For Savannah Marshall, the buildup to defending the world title she won on her 21st birthday in China two years ago has been the worst part. “I hate flying, I’m really bad,” says the six-foot middleweight from Hartlepool before one of her last sparring sessions at the Great Britain boxing squad’s training base in Sheffield.
Marshall, one of the five English boxers plus two from Wales who will take part in the eighth Women’s Elite Championships in the South Korean resort of Jeju from 13 November, will take a sleeping tablet for the long flight to a 10-day training camp in Japan this weekend.Marshall, one of the five English boxers plus two from Wales who will take part in the eighth Women’s Elite Championships in the South Korean resort of Jeju from 13 November, will take a sleeping tablet for the long flight to a 10-day training camp in Japan this weekend.
“I still hate doing media as well,” adds the 23-year-old, who was nicknamed the Silent Assassin early in her career because of the contrast between her shyness outside the ring and her effectiveness inside it. But that nickname may no longer be appropriate, at least on the evidence of the engaging personality – while still not effusive and a long way from boxing brash – that emerged as she discussed the highs and lows of an eventful few years.“I still hate doing media as well,” adds the 23-year-old, who was nicknamed the Silent Assassin early in her career because of the contrast between her shyness outside the ring and her effectiveness inside it. But that nickname may no longer be appropriate, at least on the evidence of the engaging personality – while still not effusive and a long way from boxing brash – that emerged as she discussed the highs and lows of an eventful few years.
Having discovered boxing by accident in Hartlepool, and battled that shyness with the help of her Headland coach Tim Coulter to attend an initial camp in Bradford as a 16-year-old, Marshall won silver at her first World Championships in Barbados in 2010, when still in her teens. The triumph in China, which was anything but a fluke as she became Britain’s first female world champion by defeating a series of tough opponents, including the American Claressa Shields, raised expectations ahead of the London Olympics later that year – only for Marshall to suffer a shock defeat in her opening bout, leaving Nicola Adams, a Sheffield housemate and one of her best friends despite being nine years her senior, to become the poster girl of British women’s boxing.Having discovered boxing by accident in Hartlepool, and battled that shyness with the help of her Headland coach Tim Coulter to attend an initial camp in Bradford as a 16-year-old, Marshall won silver at her first World Championships in Barbados in 2010, when still in her teens. The triumph in China, which was anything but a fluke as she became Britain’s first female world champion by defeating a series of tough opponents, including the American Claressa Shields, raised expectations ahead of the London Olympics later that year – only for Marshall to suffer a shock defeat in her opening bout, leaving Nicola Adams, a Sheffield housemate and one of her best friends despite being nine years her senior, to become the poster girl of British women’s boxing.
Those close to Marshall believe that might have been just as well as she had struggled to cope with the hype of London, and even life in the Olympic village. The way she handled the week in Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games this summer, where she won gold, suggests she is on the right road for Rio in 2016. Those close to Marshall believe that might have been just as well, as she had struggled to cope with the hype of London, and even life in the Olympic village. The way she handled the week in Glasgow for the Commonwealth Games this summer, where she won gold, suggests she is on the right road for Rio in 2016.
“Nicky’s been one of my really good friends, since when I first started when I was 16,” Marshall says of Adams, who will miss the Worlds because of a shoulder injury. “She’s done really well, made herself what she is, she’s went out and got them sponsorship deals, she’s got herself out there. I’m really proud of her.“Nicky’s been one of my really good friends, since when I first started when I was 16,” Marshall says of Adams, who will miss the Worlds because of a shoulder injury. “She’s done really well, made herself what she is, she’s went out and got them sponsorship deals, she’s got herself out there. I’m really proud of her.
“I’m a proper homebird, I hate being away from home, as soon as I get somewhere I can’t wait to be on my way back.” It’s as if the former England and Durham fast bowler Steve Harmison is talking about Ashington – maybe it’s something about the north-east. “We’re only in Sheffield Monday to Thursday so I go home on a weekend. I still live at home with my mum and dad.” Hartlepool, she concedes, would not be seen as a glamorous destination. “No it’s not but it’s my home, d’you know – especially coz I’m away so many weeks of the year I absolutely love going back. It has got a bad reputation but what place hasn’t? It’s got a lovely marina, d’you know...it’s got a lovely marina.” There is a dry sense of humour there, too.“I’m a proper homebird, I hate being away from home, as soon as I get somewhere I can’t wait to be on my way back.” It’s as if the former England and Durham fast bowler Steve Harmison is talking about Ashington – maybe it’s something about the north-east. “We’re only in Sheffield Monday to Thursday so I go home on a weekend. I still live at home with my mum and dad.” Hartlepool, she concedes, would not be seen as a glamorous destination. “No it’s not but it’s my home, d’you know – especially coz I’m away so many weeks of the year I absolutely love going back. It has got a bad reputation but what place hasn’t? It’s got a lovely marina, d’you know...it’s got a lovely marina.” There is a dry sense of humour there, too.
It was in Hartlepool where Marshall steadily rebuilt her confidence after London. “It took a long, long time,” she confirms. “After the Olympics, I had an operation on my hand, so that added to it, and then I couldn’t train for months, so I was just in the worst place ever. I still had to come up here every week and watch everyone train and spar ... but I managed to pick myself up and get back.”It was in Hartlepool where Marshall steadily rebuilt her confidence after London. “It took a long, long time,” she confirms. “After the Olympics, I had an operation on my hand, so that added to it, and then I couldn’t train for months, so I was just in the worst place ever. I still had to come up here every week and watch everyone train and spar ... but I managed to pick myself up and get back.”
Marshall thought of giving up boxing “a few times. It made me think a lot. I used to pray every time before a fight. Ever since the Olympics I’ve never prayed once before I’ve boxed, I’ve just thought you make your own way, and there’s no one out there apart from you that’s going to do that”.Marshall thought of giving up boxing “a few times. It made me think a lot. I used to pray every time before a fight. Ever since the Olympics I’ve never prayed once before I’ve boxed, I’ve just thought you make your own way, and there’s no one out there apart from you that’s going to do that”.
As Adams’ late-flowering career has shown, Marshall still has plenty of time on her side, but she confirms she is already considering life after boxing. “I’m not in denial about that – I know it’s not going to last forever,” she says. “I’ve been thinking about it quite a lot lately. I want to get down the path of social work. One of my friends at home is doing paediatric nursing at uni and I love going home on a weekend and looking at all his books and that – I just wish I could be back at school learning things.”As Adams’ late-flowering career has shown, Marshall still has plenty of time on her side, but she confirms she is already considering life after boxing. “I’m not in denial about that – I know it’s not going to last forever,” she says. “I’ve been thinking about it quite a lot lately. I want to get down the path of social work. One of my friends at home is doing paediatric nursing at uni and I love going home on a weekend and looking at all his books and that – I just wish I could be back at school learning things.”
Marshall already has 12 GCSEs and a BTec in sport. “I was just that obsessed with training, coming home from school and going training, that I didn’t go out all the time,” she explains. “I knew what I wanted and I knew that if you didn’t get good GCSEs you couldn’t go to college. I did the BTec sport and then when I’d finished that I got on here. I’d love to go back.”Marshall already has 12 GCSEs and a BTec in sport. “I was just that obsessed with training, coming home from school and going training, that I didn’t go out all the time,” she explains. “I knew what I wanted and I knew that if you didn’t get good GCSEs you couldn’t go to college. I did the BTec sport and then when I’d finished that I got on here. I’d love to go back.”
But for the moment she is happy and, despite the ongoing loathing of flights and interviews, and love of Hartlepool, relishing the prospect of a few weeks in east Asia. “I’ve learned to enjoy it, learn that I’m never going to get a chance to go to these places ever again if it wasn’t for boxing,” she reflects. “So I’m really looking forward to South Korea, it sounds a nice place. I like sushi, and I like fish. I do realise how lucky I am.”But for the moment she is happy and, despite the ongoing loathing of flights and interviews, and love of Hartlepool, relishing the prospect of a few weeks in east Asia. “I’ve learned to enjoy it, learn that I’m never going to get a chance to go to these places ever again if it wasn’t for boxing,” she reflects. “So I’m really looking forward to South Korea, it sounds a nice place. I like sushi, and I like fish. I do realise how lucky I am.”
Shields, a 19-year-old from Michigan who was the London gold medallist having been stunned by Marshall in China, has been talking up her prospects of gaining revenge in Jeju. “Yeah, she’s a bit of a livewire,” nods Marshall. “But she’s American so they’re all brash aren’t they, and big themselves up? But d’you know at the end of the day it’s her thinking about me all the time. She talks about me in every interview she does. D’you know I don’t even give her a thought, it’s me that’s playing on her mind and she’s just going to be losing sleep over it.”Shields, a 19-year-old from Michigan who was the London gold medallist having been stunned by Marshall in China, has been talking up her prospects of gaining revenge in Jeju. “Yeah, she’s a bit of a livewire,” nods Marshall. “But she’s American so they’re all brash aren’t they, and big themselves up? But d’you know at the end of the day it’s her thinking about me all the time. She talks about me in every interview she does. D’you know I don’t even give her a thought, it’s me that’s playing on her mind and she’s just going to be losing sleep over it.”
Hartlepool’s slightly chattier Assassin is sleeping fine, even if she will need a tablet for the plane. Hartlepool’s slightly chattier Assassin is sleeping fine, even if she will need a pill for the plane.