No Asterisk in Effort: Teacher Rachel Lally Chasing UBO Crown
It may not be one of the recognised titles, but the UBO world super middleweight belt is world title enough for Rachel Lally and the community of Erris.
The Mayo native challenges for the belt at The Pavilion, Emirates Golf Club on Friday night and while victory won’t see her enter the history books alongside Ireland’s world champions, it’s a fight and a belt that means a lot to her.
It’s also a title and indeed a fight that should open doors for the ‘Bullet from Bellmullet’. Not to mention the full-time teacher can’t be begrudged her moment in the spotlight, considering the effort she has put it to get to this stage.
A dedicated teacher in the UAE by day and an elite athlete by night, the two-time underage amateur champion’s recent training camp has been her most gruelling to date. Navigating the mental toll of “training through war” and regional instability in Dubai, Lally has turned the desert heat into a forge for her spirit.
“Having a shot at a world title has been my goal since I turned Pro and I have put every ounce of energy into making this a reality, while continuing my day job as a teacher in the UAE,” she said.
“Despite the undeniable talent and grit of female fighters, boxing remains a sport where the scales of equality are heavily tipped. For women in this discipline, the challenge is not just the opponent in the opposite corner, but a systemic structure that requires them to work twice as hard to be taken half as seriously. For most males at my level, in the top ten in the world, they would be able to financially dedicate themselves full-time to training, but for females, we often earn peanuts compared to our male counterparts. So, juggling full-time teaching with intense training requires stamina and dedication.”
Training in the current climate of Dubai, the true preparation is mental. Training in a high pressure, turbulent environment requires a specific type of mental weaponry to maintain peak performance when the world outside feels unstable.
“I am so thankful to the UAE defences for their tireless work in keeping us safe,” comments Lally. “Knowing we are protected by such a world class security infrastructure allows me to step into the gym every day with total confidence, and we pray every day for peace,” before revealing the ‘world title’ element has played a big part in her motivation.
“It’s not every day a world boxing title could come to Erris,” said Lally. “That thought is what gets me through the 5 AM runs and the toughest mental days. I’m not just representing myself; I’m representing every person in Belmullet who knows about hard work and standing your ground. I’m bringing that coastal grit to the desert.”
The southpaw, who made sure to thank her sponsors RINROW, Capital Sky Limited and Meals On Me also had a message for her students.
“To my students in Dubai and my supporters in Mayo: thank you for believing in me. I’m ready to graduate to World Champion status.”
Victory on Friday is not a given for the 168lbs hopeful. She finds herself against big punching Tanzanian Grace Mapesa, who boasts four knockouts from five wins.
