Team mates – Broadhusts heralds O’Rourke and Team Ireland spirit

 

Amy Broadhurst celebrated Aoife O’Rourke’s gold medal European Championship win as if it was her own.

Just days after she had exited the tournament with a bronze medal in her pocket, the disappointment the Dundalk fighter felt at not reaching the lightweight decider wasn’t apparent when O’Rourke became only the second Irish woman after Katie Taylor to win Continental gold.

Broadhurst jumped for joy and beamed a smile as big as the podium topper from the West’s post the final win.

The 22-year-old suggest that happiness stems from the fact she has become a friend of the Roscommon hero and because the gold was also a win for the team.

The lightweight, who has won seven European medals at different levels, disputes the idea that boxing is a lonely sport and a sole pursuit.

She points out there was massive team spirit between four fighters and the wider coaching staff out in Madrid.

Broadhurst points that, that the team ethic was key to the latest Irish success and claims all the Irish in attendance were as happy as her to see O’Rourke claim European Championship gold.

“I don’t think boxing is a sole sport,” Broadhurst told Irish-boxing.com.

“You do get in the ring your on your own, but during rounds and outside the ring you have a team. You have coaches and team mates cheering you on.

“When your not in the ring you still have a team encouraging you and feeding you positive thoughts. The team we had in Madrid was fantastic, we supported eachother and helped eachother through the highs and the lows,” she adds before discussing O’Rourke’s success.

“It was brilliant for us too watch Aoife win gold, she truly deserves it with the hard work she puts in.

“We started as Elites together last year and I’ve seen her grow so so much in such a shorts space of time. It’s amazing for me to watch.”