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Clare Malone
Former Caludon Castle pupil Clare Malone is only 5ft 4in and weighs in at less than 9st, but that doesn’t stop her from packing a punch. Clare has been training under specialist MMA coach Aaron Clamp for the past 18 months The sport incorporates a range of different fighting techniques and the 28-year-old had her debut fight in March 2011 after suffering a series of broken fingers and toes in training. Clare unfortunately lost her debut fight but that has not stopped her and has made her even more determined to win her next scheduled fight in October 2011. Clare trains up to 5 times a week, at the Capitol Gym is a loyal member of the gym, doing everything she can to promote the facilities and classes available. |
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Thomas Bauer Thomas |
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Shannon Caulfield BOXING and beauty is a rare mix but it’s proving a devastating combination for Coventry teenager Shannon Caulfield. The 18-year-old, from Coventry trained as a beauty therapy student at Henley College – and is now a trainee fitness instructor at the gym she represents in amateur boxing The Capitol Gym in Longford.. Shannon was crowned Junior Amateur Boxing Association title at the National Ladies Championships in Manchester in 2008 when she stopped her opponent in the second round of the Class A (52kgs) final. Shannon, who trains and fights out of the Capitol Amateur Boxing Club in Longford, has now won the title in 2009 and 2010. Shannon said: “I’m really pleased with my performances throughout the last few year’s tournaments. I love the sport and winning an ABA title is something special especially three years running.” Meanwhile her coach Gary Anderson said: “Shannon’s success is reward for a punishing training routine that takes her to the gym every day. “For the past five years she’s trained really hard and everyone at the club is proud of her. |
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Steve Webster Webster was born in Nuneaton, Wawrickshire. He finished tied for 24th place in the 1995 British Open Championship at St Andrews, winning the silver medal as low amateur ahead of Tiger Woods. He turned professional later that year. Webster won the 1995 European Tour, Qualifying School. He finished in 129th place on the Order of Merit in his rookie season, just missing out on retaining his playing privileges and forcing him to return to qualifying school, where he was again successful. Since 1997 he has made the top 100 on the Order of Merit every season, to comfortably retain his place on Europe's elite tour. Webster was a member of the winning Great Britain & Ireland team at the 2002 Seve Trophy and again in 2009. His biggest win to date was the 2007 Portugal Masters and he also won the Telecom Italia Open in 2005. |
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Samson Sykes Samson Sykes was simply born to box. As a five year-old, he went to a boxing gym and remembered: “I impressed the coaches from the first day. Nobody had ever shown me anything. I just knew how to hold my hands up.” Fast forward more than a decade and Sykes, who celebrates his 18th birthday in November, is being groomed for a trip to the 2016 Olympics in Brazil. He cemented his place in the England set-up earlier this month by winning gold at the Commonwealth Youth Games at 52kgs having previously won CYP, Junior ABA and Three Nations titles this season. “I’ve been picked to box for England at the last three tournaments,” said southpaw Sykes, “and the coaches said they were very, very happy with the way I boxed.” Sykes did hang up his gloves for a while, however. “I used to have a problem with nerves,” said Sykes, who weighed just 27kgs for his first three bouts. “I quit for a year and never thought I would go back. But I decided to give it another try and got better and better.” By his own admission, Sykes was “a bit of a brawler” and after a run of four straight defeats, reinvented himself as a super-slick counter puncher who draws his opponents leads, then fires lightning counters through the gaps. I changed my style completely,” he said. “I settled down a lot and found a way that works for me.” “Make ’em miss, then make ’em pay,” is how Sykes explains his philosophy to fisticuffs and 36 wins from 40 bouts later, it seems to have worked. Although predominantly a counter puncher, Sykes had to adapt to win the Commonwealth Youth Games earlier this month. In the final, he met J Woods from Australia, ranked No 5 in the world, and Sykes said: “He wanted me to go at him but I kept him on the end of my jab. I can change the way I box. It just depends who I’m up against. I feel I’ve got so much better in the last six months and I don’t think there’s anyone in England who can beat me.” As a junior, Sykes has been untouchable and in the forthcoming season he steps up to senior level to target the ABA championships. They start next year and Sykes, who says his favourite boxers are Muhammad Ali and Floyd Mayweather jnr, hopes to have “as many bouts as possible” before the ABAs start. Sykes boxes for Capitol Amateur Boxing Club in Coventry but doesn’t have to travel that far to train. A traveller, Sykes was born in Stoke-on-Trent and has moved around the Midlands before settling five years ago in Hinckley. His younger brother, Wesley, also boxes and a gym has been built in the garden of the family home. “All I do is eat, sleep, work and train,” said Sykes. |
