Kate McLaren: \u201cBoxing gave me everything, and I\u2019m forever grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n
Kate McLaren was scheduled to have fight number nine five months ago. But sadly, for McLaren, a serious eye injury stopped the fight, and maybe even her entire career in its tracks. <\/p>\n
\u201cI had a foreign object stuck in my eye, which scratched and damaged my\u00a0cornea, the clear top layer that protects the eye,\u201d McLaren told FightPost. \u201cI was supposed to fight on 28th May, but I had to cancel it just a week before the fight due to the eye injury.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s the million-dollar question,\u201d McLaren added when I asked if she would ever fight again. \u201cRight now, I\u2019m focused on public speaking, advocating for women\u2019s health, and running programs through my NFP:\u00a0It\u2019s Her Foundation. Boxing is tough, day in, day out, with intense physical and mental strain. For women, the purses are small, so it\u2019s a lot of risk for very little reward.<\/p>\n
\u201cI\u2019m loving embracing my feminine energy and stepping back from the stress. It feels amazing. That said, I have two great teams, Jeff Fenech in Sydney and Will Jones, here in the UK, so if the right opportunity came along, I\u2019m sure we could get a training camp happening again. So, we\u2019ll see.\u201d<\/p>\n
If her victory over Bojana Libiszewska in 2024 is the last dance for McLaren, the 33-year-old is still appreciative of what boxing has given her. \u201cI feel incredibly grateful. Looking back at photos, my fights, and the amazing support from sponsors who helped me train and travel internationally, I\u2019m proud of everything I\u2019ve achieved. Boxing was my biggest dream, and it still feels surreal that it became a reality. Now, seeing the women I train hold my belts and light up for photos, those huge smiles on their faces makes every moment and sacrifice completely worth it.\u201d<\/p>\n
McLaren has a 5-1-2 resume, but maybe surprisingly, it is the only defeat on her record that she views as the highlight of her career. \u201cMy fight against Enja Ryan in 2023. What a fight.\u00a0Even now, thinking about it gives me butterflies. It was brutally amazing.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cAge catching up,\u201d McLaren adds when I ask what the low point of her boxing life is. \u201cWatching younger fighters train like they\u2019re powered by an endless battery made me notice that hormones and age really are a thing, especially for women.\u201d<\/p>\n
Despite the way her career has seemingly ended, there are no regrets for McLaren. \u201cNone. It\u2019s been one hell of a ride, and I\u2019m so proud of my journey.\u201d<\/p>\n
If the boxing story of Kate McLaren is indeed over, she can take plenty away from her time in the sport. \u201cResilience and the power of the mind,\u201d McLaren thinks, are the biggest things she has learned from a professional career that started in Australia in 2021 and ended with that victory over Libiszewska in Brentwood three years later.<\/p>\n
If retirement is the next call, McLaren is showing no signs of sitting idle on the boxing sidelines. \u201cI\u2019m bouncing between Sydney and London, focusing on supporting women, running programs, and using my voice to inspire. Boxing gave me everything, and I\u2019m forever grateful.\u201d<\/p>\n
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\t\t\t\t\tPublished by FightPost: MMA & Boxing News\n\t\t\t<\/p>\n