Chantelle Cameron has finally opened up on her Olympic heartbreak
It’s a subject that’s been too painful to properly address up until now, but Chantelle Cameron (12-0, 7KOs) has finally opened up on her Olympic anguish.
The Northampton fighter was a long-time star of the Team GB set-up but was controversially overlooked for the 2016 Rio Olympics.
That crushing disappointment was followed by a near-fatal health problem and now, on the brink of huge world title fights as an unbeaten professional, 28-year-old Cameron tells the story of the lowest moments of her life for the first time in an #MTKInsideAccess special.
'Wham Bam Chan' admitted, "Not qualifying for that Olympics was simply one of the hardest things I’ve gone through. It was horrible. The whole team qualified apart from me and the fact I’d already beaten lots of the girls who went broke my heart.
"Everyone was asking what happened afterwards and I just shut myself in my room for two weeks. People were very worried about me. I’d made so many sacrifices for four years – continuous training. I had no social life because I was so determined to go to the Olympics. I felt cheated out of it because of my style.
"I didn’t want anything to do with boxing after that. I didn’t watch any of the Olympics. The thought of boxing made me physically sick. I still loved fighting. I went back to the kickboxing gym but I realised it’s not the same. I was in love with boxing even though it broke my heart. I felt like I’d let my family down and my town down.2
Just one more
"I decided I’d have one more shot at the Team GB Europeans. If I was going to leave boxing, I wanted to leave with a major medal. I couldn’t leave with nothing. The plan was to win that and then just walk away.
"I went to the Europeans calmed and relaxed. I boxed brilliantly and boxed a Russian’s head off. I laughed when they raised her hand. It was a joke."
From heartache to hospital
"Then I nearly died. I didn’t realise I had septacaemia. I ended up in hospital for a week and I had to have it cut out. I was still on Team GB but I had a pump strapped to my leg. It was three months of doing nothing.
"I opted to go into professional boxing. I thought I’d have a go and I immediately loved it. When I’m in camp, I’m fully dedicated – as much as any professional. Outside of camp, I like to have fun these days. I have to enjoy myself because I remember how depressed I was over the Olympics disappointment. Boxing is a sport to me and I’m having fun now. I go in there to destroy opponents because I don’t want to leave things to judges.
"I have a love-hate relationship with boxing. It’s a rollercoaster with lots of ups and downs. You may want to quit when the downs come but if you persevere, you can be a champion. The sport destroyed me mentally and physically and I had no idea what my purpose in life was. I thought it was my be all and end all.
"My family tell me that every time I’ve been knocked down I get up stronger than before. The advice I’d give to youngsters is that this is a sport and you should enjoy it. You can’t lose the fun factor. I made that mistake before and it became a chore and made me miserable."
The turning point
"I nearly walked away as a professional when I felt that way but luckily MTK Global, Jamie Moore and Nigel Travis have me back on my feet. I’m doing this for fun and to secure my future. If it doesn’t work out, I’m still going to be healthy and breathing. I’d just have to find a new chapter. This is my last chance to make it work and I’m giving it everything.
"Joining Jamie’s stable has brought the fun back. I don’t even feel like I’m in camp. I’m training really hard and putting so much work in but it’s fun. I used to hate and dread training but now I enjoy getting up and going to Jamie’s gym. I’m learning and improving because I’m relaxed. I’m enjoying boxing again. Jamie and Nigel are very positive so when I joined with my confidence was low, doubting myself, they motivated me to push on. It’s a great team to be around."
The next episode
"After boxing, I want to become a PE teacher. I’m currently trying to get on to a university course. I plan to study alongside my boxing career.
"I’ve always wanted to be a PE teacher and then of course there are the good holidays you get!"
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