MADISON Adkins made history by winning the highly coveted England Boxing Elite Senior National (ABA) Championships under the guidance of Evesham boxing coach Mat Pickering at the minimum age entry of just 18-years-old.
Adkins stopped two of her opponents en route to the final before claiming a stylish unanimous decision victory to become England’s number one female boxer in the 70kg senior category.
She secured stoppage victories in both her quarter-final and semi-final bouts at the Barnsley Metrodome before cruising to a comfortable points win in the final at Derby Arena the following weekend.
Adkins’ latest victory comes after she won gold in both the Haringey Box Cup last June and Women’s Winter Box Cup in December under Pickering’s tutelage.
England Boxing has now seeded Adkins as the number one fighter in the 70kg category.
She will have a GB assessment this month and will represent England in the Tri Nations tournament in June competing against fighters from Scotland and Wales.
Adkins, who fights out of Stratford-upon-Avon ABC, trained at Leamington Community Boxing in preparation for the Senior Elite Championships after being unable to train at her usual gym due to flooding for the past 16 weeks.
Leamington Community Boxing is based on the grounds of Gurdwara Sahib Sikh Temple who offered Adkins and her team full use of their facilities.
After enduring an extra five hours and 150 miles of travelling every week, Adkins remains in the dark as to whether she will be able to return to her regular gym in Stratford.
Pickering has been coaching for more than two decades and travelled hundreds of miles each week to support Adkins during training and sparring alongside his full time job.
Adkins holds the ambition of qualifying for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympic Games but knows she has more experience to gain in order to achieve her goal.
She is now looking for sponsors to help her with expenses for travel, coaching, hotels and equipment costs. To contact Madison, email: [email protected]
