After starting the year with an impressive victory over Amy Broudhurst, Offaly boxer Gráinne Walsh retained her welterweight national title with victory over Christina Desmond.
Despite being injury free, something Gráinne has struggled with, it has been a mixed 2023 for her, which saw Gráinne switch gyms and be overlooked for the European championships.
However, with the unanimous decision victory, she told Breakingnews.ie how much retaining the 66kg title last weekend meant to her.
"The feeling never gets old when you get to retain your title. On the back of all the injuries and setbacks I have had, this year was definitely something special.
"Being able to win two titles back-to back at Olympic weight, solidify myself as the best 66kg in Ireland for the second time, was really something special.
"It has definitely been a year of ups and downs. When I beat Amy, it was a major highlight of my career, and I felt like the year was just going to take off and go really well. Then my club coach of 11 years left Ireland and joined Team India, so that was a huge blow.
"I just had to keep chipping away and making moves that would put me in a good position, and I did thankfully. I joined St Mary's boxing club in Tallaght, and I have teamed up with Noel Burke, Kellie Harrington's coach as well. I feel like I made the necessary adjustments and kept working hard, and I think I showed at the weekend I'm not going down without a fight.
In a year that started with such promise, Gráinne made everyone take notice with her win over Amy Broudhurst. Despite her victory, it was Broadherst who was chosen ahead of Gráinne for the European Championships, which also served as a qualifying event for Paris 2024.
While Broudhurst was defeated in Poland, Gráinne could only watch on, in a year where she was fully fit after overcoming several injuries in her boxing career.
The 28-year-old admitted she came into the National finals with a chip on her shoulder, as she was eager to prove why she should be in the race for next summer's Olympics.
"I feel like I have always had a bit of a chip on my shoulder ever since getting injured. Missing out on so many things that I thought I was capable of.
"Sport and life in general, you need luck, and I just didn't have any luck in the past couple of years. I stuck at it and did all the right things and never gave up. Not getting picked was a huge blow, but it wasn't my decision, and it wasn't within my control, so I could only do what I can control, which is have a good attitude and keep working hard."
As Irish boxers sealed their faith for next summer's Olympics, the Offaly boxer could only watch on, as the Irish representative in the welterweight division remains unknown.
This was nothing new for Gráinne. A two-time bronze medallist in the European championships, constant injuries have robbed her of opportunities.
Happy for those achieving her dream, the Offaly woman took the decision to take a step back from social media.
"I learnt the best way for me to deal with setbacks and through all the injuries was to come off social media, and to be honest, that was something that really helped me when the qualifiers were on.
"I sent a message into the group chat wishing everyone well, and then I took myself out of the situation and limited my exposure to news and radio and social media, where I wouldn't be seeing it all the time. It is very difficult when you are not part of that.
"Coming off social media was a huge help for me. It is something I use now coming into competitions. I just limit my exposure to things might that might take my focus. It's not nice when you are not part of what you dreamed what you would be a part of, but thankfully the dream isn't over for me yet."
After setback after setback through injury, Gráinne keeps coming back. However, she admitted the mental difficulties that comes with setbacks in sport, and praised those close to her who helped her in hardest of times.
"The physical side of it is not bother at all, it's the mental side of it that is the hardest. Everyone is on the same trajectory, the same train heading towards the Olympics and Olympic qualifiers, but if you get injured, you have to get off the train, but the train keeps going.
"At the first few times I got injured, people kept saying the best is yet to come, every cloud has a silver lining and all this. I was getting sick of hearing all this positivity, because I was seeing no light at the end of the tunnel.
"Thankfully, I have great people around me, that kept me focused and kept me positive, and I kept going. I really am blessed to have great people around me, because without them, I don't know if I would have got through it all."
Fully fit, two-time national champion, and claims she is entering her prime. This is what Gráinne has been waiting for.
The next qualifying event for the Olympics in in February, with Ireland's choice for welterweight currently unknown. While it may be out of her control, Gráinne hopes she has made herself impossible to ignore, and can be put in a position to achieve her dream.
"It is going to be harder and harder for them not to pick me. I have kept chipping away, and I have had a really good year with 10 fights, I went three years with two fights and got injured in one of them, so I missed three vital years.
"That was when I thought I was really down and out, I through how am I going to gain back all this time? It gave me time to work on things I didn't have time before. My right hand was injured, so I worked really hard on my left hand and started to change southpaw.
"I'm glad I am in the position I am in now, and like I said, it is getting harder for them not to pick me. Ultimately, the decision is not in my hands, and I just have to apply myself the best I can."
