Louise Creaven - A Fight of a Different Kind

Ireland has changed a lot, an awful lot.

It's unrecognizable at the moment.

11 years is a long time, but it's not a long time in life.

And I remember, dearly, we hadn't got used to talking about stuff.

We hadn't got used to bringing these topics out.

We certainly hadn't got used to being able to ask for help.

As a young girl going through everything that you're going through at that age, It can't have been easy.

Katie Taylor has done a massive amount for young girls in boxing and young girls in sport.

But it's people like yourself, Louise, people like Kelly with Dockland, it's people like Kelly Harrington, it's people, incredible people who have gone through worse battles than boxing can ever throw at them.

But it's very important that they're able to reach to you or they're able to look to you and they're able to listen.

And how difficult is it, would you think, for a young girl to be able to bring this topic up? And whether it's with a parent or a coach or a mentor, it's not an easy subject at any time, is it?

That was definitely one of the hardest things for me as well.

It was just, I, even just myself growing up, I always kept everything to myself, you know, found it difficult to talk about things.

And it's quite scary for the younger kids now because they're going to grow up with that as well.

And I think it got a little bit better, but I also think too, like even during COVID and stuff, things just, yeah, got maybe a bit worse again.

And I think, yeah, it's going to be hard for those kids.

I have noticed now as well, there is the helplines at home, like Body Wise and stuff.

They're very open now, but all that, and they've got a lot more resources out there.

And I think I'm hoping, you know, with social media, there is negatives and positives to it.

But I do hope that some of these kids can take the positives and, you know, they can help them to talk about this a bit better.

And I do.

And that's one thing, too, is like I might put stuff up and I will get messages from people about it.

You know, it could just be from complete strangers as well.

And it's sometimes just easier to talk to a stranger.

it's so important and that was as big as the boxing messages and we get on to the exciting part of the boxing and all that goes with it but it is a very it's an area it's an area of the sport for me Louise I'm not just saying it because we're having this conversation it's an area of the sport for me that I'm not comfortable with is the weight cut I think and it's becoming more and more and more pushing the boundaries pushing the boundaries if you know boxing and you know the body and you know a mixture of both you know that you cannot be at your optimum strength when you're taking that much weight off and it's just not possible and it's an area that Do you think, from your experience, is it an important...