Taylah Robertson is a 20 year old Aussie who is striving to qualify for the Olympic Games in Tokyo next year. Last year she was the youngest female boxer to ever compete in the Commonwealth Games and she walked away with a bronze medal. This year her sights are set onto something bigger.
Taylah is about to go on an international tour, competing in the likes of Poland, Serbia, Spain and Asia to name a few. By October she will know if she has done enough to qualify or not.
So, how did this Fearless Female become one of Australia’s leading female boxers?
When Taylah was 12 years old, she was on the school bus on the way home when she spotted boxing classes in a building across the road. She immediately got off the bus and went to try out a session, a bold move for someone so young. After a few weeks of coming home later than expected, her mum asked her what she was up to and wasn’t very pleased when she said she had been boxing!
Despite her mum not loving the idea initially, Taylah stuck with it, showed drive and dedication. Now, she is one of the leading females in the sport and has her sights firmly set on the Olympics.
Here are her tips for what it takes to train like a professional athlete
Many aspects are involved in making it to the top in not only boxing, but all sports.
Consistency, hard work and a strong drive to want to succeed is essential.
Day in and day out you’re training to perfect your craft and build your agility/speed/ strength and stamina to highest of your ability so that when you enter competition, you know that your dedication and preparation will out weigh your opponents!
My day to day looks this:
- 7am I start the morning off with some form of conditioning whether it be running intervals, long distance or sprints.
- By 11am I work on strength and power over an hour, specific to boxing.
- My final session of the day starts usually at 4pm this is a boxing session and can vary from sparring, to bag and pad work, foot work and partner work drills, or I head to my local 12RND studio for a good hit out. (If these studios existed when I started 8 years ago, Im sure my mum would have been way more comfortable with my decision to box!)
There are 5 things I swear by when it comes to achieving a goal (like qualifying for the olympics!).
1- A healthy lifestyle.
I eat well. I have a lot of vegetables and protein, drink a lot of water and try to get at least 8 hours of sleep. This is so important, especially given I am currently doing about 3 training sessions a day.
2- Consistent training.
I am not going to be able to achieve my goals if I am not improving, so I’m always training and pushing myself. For a sport like boxing this is across multiple aspects from strength, to speed, agility and endurance. All of these elements are important for a boxer.
3- A good support network.
You give up a lot when you have a dream such as the Olympics. I am not going out all the time, partying and drinking. So, surrounding myself with people on the same mission as me or who support my visions is beneficial to my success and allows me to focus.
4- Keeping a balance.
Taking time for other outlets that fuel my happiness is also important because if I am not feeling inspired, light and happy it is going to be hard for me to succeed and keep a positive, driven mindset.
5- Being the hardest worker in the room.
This is important to me for anything that I set my mind to, especially boxing. It’s all about the work you put in and making sure that you’re always more prepared and ahead of whoever you face.
Taylah is just about to tour again with the following fights locked in which will determine whether she qualifies for the next Olympic Games:
- 13-21st April AIS Training Camp
- 22-7th May Poland
- 8-21st May Spain
- 22nd May – 19th June Sydney
- 20-23rd June Nationals Melbourne
Good luck Taylah! We can’t wait to see you represent Australia and Fearless Females everywhere.
Taylah Robertson has been boxing since 2015, completing 70 fights. At 20 years old she has already competed Internationally, winning a silver medal in Spain, a bronze medal in Turkey, a bronze medal in the Commonwealth Games last year, a gold medal in Ireland and more. She is also an athlete for 12RND Fitness.