Kelsey Leonard - Off To A Flyer

About this episode

Kelsey Leonard discusses her journey in boxing, from amateur success to professional challenges.

Kelsey Leonard has got off to a  flyer  in professional boxing. Fittingly, that’s exactly how she started as an amateur: spotting a flyer at age nine inviting youngsters to her local club, showing up, and never looking back. Inspired by her idol,  Katie Taylor , the Kildare native stormed the amateur ranks, securing eight Irish titles and medals at both the Junior European and World Championships. While Taylor cleared the path for women in the Olympics, Leonard faced a formidable domestic roadblock in Belfast’s Michaela Walsh. In this episode, Kelsey opens up about the lengths she went to for that Olympic dream—and the weight of eventually leaving it behind. Now, she’s trading one rivalry for another. After a perfect  4-0 start in 2025 , Leonard returns to the National Stadium on  April 4  to face Mayo’s Elaine Harrison. It’s a landmark moment for the sport: the first all-Irish BUI-sanctioned female fight in history. Kelsey also breaks down the grueling transition to the pros, from managing an intense training load and media scrutiny to the nuances of mental self-preservation. We also talk about fighting lads and the benefit of having supportive mams…

People in this episode

Host: The Rocky Road

Guest: Kelsey Leonard

Topics covered

• professional boxing
• amateur boxing
• Olympic dreams
• female sports
• training
• mental health

Keywords

• Kelsey Leonard
• boxing
• Katie Taylor
• Olympics
• female fighters
• training
• mental health

Mentioned in this episode

Places: Kildare, Belfast, National Stadium

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