Chantelle Reid

There is no doubt as to the driving force behind Chantelle Reid’s remarkable Olympic comeback.

The Derby-born fighter seemed destined for stardom when she was crowned world youth champion and winning European junior bronze in 2014.

But a degenerative disc injury struck and she would not step into a competitive ring for six years.

“It was scary as my body was developing so I made the decision to step away,” said Reid.

“I had two different specialists look at my scans and they advised me to not be boxing at that level anymore. They said I wouldn’t be able to go to the Olympics and box at that level ever again. It was very worrying, I was very young at the time.”

It was the unconditional support of a family steeped in the noble art that kept Reid’s Olympic dream alive and she will make her debut at Paris 2024.

Reid’s family run the KR Centre near Derby and she spent time coaching kids in the gym - giving back to the grassroots ensured her passion for boxing never waned.

Being in the ring with her younger brother Duane Jr for some of his amateur fights was the final push that she needed to launch a comeback in 2020.

Reid admitted: “My first fight back I lost, but it opened my eyes. I needed a lot of work done.

“I couldn’t just have six years out then jump back into the ring and expect everything to come back to normal for me. I had to get some work done – some graft in the gym.”

The 26-year-old came full circle by claiming a gold medal at the 2023 National Senior Elite Championships that saw her earn a place on the talent pathway towards the Olympics and she now has the backing of National Lottery funding which allows her to train full-time and have access to world-class coaches, facilities and medical support.

With the Paris 2024 Olympics and Paralympics Games set to inspire people and communities across the country, Reid hopes that by sharing her story it will give others motivation to get involved in sport.

She is unequivocal that her family has propelled her to this point.

Reid: “I’ve had so much support, my mum, my dad, my brother, my grandad, literally everyone in my family have supported me from having six years out to coming back into the sport.

“Some days I thought: ‘am I making the right decision?’ But they motivated me, they said I could do it and I did it. I wouldn’t be anywhere near where I am today without my family around me.”

Reid will represent Team GB in the women’s middleweight category in Paris. It promises to be a highly competitive field featuring Commonwealth Games gold medallist Tammara Thibeault of Canada, China’s two-time Olympic podium finisher Li Qian and India’s Lovlina Borgohain.

Team GB, supported by funding raised by National Lottery players, will comprise of athletes from all four nations across the UK, and having secured her place on the squad, Reid is looking to capitalise on the once in a lifetime opportunity for medal success on the world’s biggest sporting stage.

“I just love being in the ring,” said Reid. “It’s like my playground and I just keep improving. I feel ready for this now and in Paris, I’m getting a gold medal.”

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