‘Everything is a bonus from here out’- Olympic hopeful Kellie Harrington could walk away happy

Kellie Harrington could walk away happy.

Ireland’s brightest Olympic medal hope could be just 12 months away from sporting immortality.

The Inner City Dub could upgrade from a well liked and respected inspirational athlete to an Irish sporting legend if she was to add an Olympic medal to the World Amateur Championship gold that already decorates her mantle piece.

Those next level accolades and the kind of achievement every amateur dreams of is quite attainable considering Harrington is currently one of the world’s best lightweights and the rescheduled Olympics are a year or so away.

However, if the Sheriff Street native was to hang them up now she’d be more than content.

Speaking to Ryan Turbridy this morning she revealed is happy with boxing has done for her personally and she is content with what she has achieved in the sport.

“I got into boxing to get me out of trouble and I know now when I stop boxing I’m not going to back to that life,” said Harrington.

“If I was to walk away from boxing now I feel like I have accomplished a lot. The dream now is to get to the Olympic Games – it wasn’t always the dream – the dream back in the day was to get out of trouble.

“Look, if I didn’t make the Olympics, I still feel that I have accomplished a lot. I’m still happy. I’m not afraid to walk away from boxing because I know I’m not going to go back to the way I was.

“Everything is a bonus from here out.”

Jonny Stapleton

Irish-boxing.com contributor for 15 years and editor for the past decade. Have been covering boxing for over 16 years and writing about sports for a living for over 20 years. Former Assistant Sports editor for the Gazette News Paper Group and former Tallaght Voice Sports Editor. Have had work published in publications around the world when working as a freelance journalist. Also co-founder of Junior Sports Media and Leinster Rugby PRO of the Year winner. email: editoririshboxing@gmail.com