Golden Belt confidence boost for proud Shannon Sweeney

Winning Golden Belt gold has given Shannon Sweeney just the kind of confidence boost she needed.

The St Annes light flyweight has long since been deemed a talent of note and has proven her quality by winning two National Elite titles.

However, the Mayo fighter admits her levels of self-belief haven’t been as high as they could or indeed should have been on occasion. Thankfully, the events of the last couple of weeks have gone a long way to address that.

Sweeney fought her way to the top of the podium in Romania, eventually claiming gold by defeating home fighter Steluta Delta.

“Winning gold at elite level has definitely built my confidence as I know what I am capable of,” she told Irish-Boxing.com after arriving home from Targu Mures.

“I think being confident is a major downfall for me but as I grow and gain more experiences I will gain more confidence.”

Sweeny has represented her country before at Under-22 level and in the Strandja multi nations but last weekend was her first international medal – and as well as filling her with confidence achieving the accolade has filled her with immense pride.

“I feel privileged and blessed to have been able to bring home the gold medal and to represent my country,” she continues before tipping her hat to those that help and support her.

“A lot of preparation, work and sacrifices went into getting here but so did a lot of luck and support from the people I am lucky to have surround me. Without the support of my family, coaches, and sponsors I couldn’t continue to live the dream. No matter how much work I was willing to put in I can’t achieve it alone. I stood on the winner’s podium to represent all the people who helped me get there not just for myself,” he adds before discussing her Paris aspirations.

“The Olympics has always been a goal of mine from a young age, however, I like to keep focused on the next challenge and take each day as it comes.”