Chantelle Reid targets Commonwealth gold after comeback from spinal injury

English boxer Chantelle Reid once faced a choice no athlete should have to make: pursue Olympic glory or preserve her ability to have children. Six years after retiring due to degenerative disc disease in her back, the Derbyshire fighter has returned to the ring and is now eyeing Commonwealth Games gold in Glasgow.

Reid told BBC East Midlands Today that doctors warned her continued boxing could leave her paralysed from the waist down. After multiple scans confirmed the spinal condition, she stepped away from the sport entirely. But in 2023, a pain-free sparring session changed everything. Within a year she had fought her way onto the Team GB squad for the Paris Olympics, and 12 months later claimed bronze at the World Championships.

Road to Los Angeles 2028 runs through Glasgow

Reid lost a split decision in her opening bout at Paris 2024, but the Olympian said that defeat sharpened her focus. The Commonwealth Games, which begin 24 July, are a testing ground for her next Olympic campaign in Los Angeles in 2028. "The next Olympic Games I'm getting that medal," she said, per the BBC. "I am making myself proud and doing what I've always dreamt of."

Reid said the Commonwealth title is important but nothing compares to the Olympic stage. "Once you have experienced the Olympics, there is nothing like it," she added. She plans to collect as much ring time as possible in Glasgow before turning her attention back to LA.

Source: bbc.co.uk