FEW ATHLETES can genuinely claim to have made history, but British boxing hero Nicola Adams has done it twice – in the most dramatic and emphatic fashion.
First, in 2012, Nicola fought her way to the Flyweight final in the London Olympics and dispatched Chinese world number one Ren Cancan to win the first women’s boxing Gold medal in the history of the games.
Four years later she proved her initial glory was no fluke, beating Frenchwoman Sarah Ourahmoune at the Rio Games. This made her the first female boxer to defend her title, and the first British boxer to win back-to-back Olympic golds in 92 years.
But who is Nicola Adams, the woman who has done more than anyone to put British women’s boxing on the map?
Where is she from?
Nicola was born in Leeds in 1982, and was educated in the Yorkshire city and Rochdale, Greater Manchester.
Having been introduced to Muhammad Ali by her dad, Innocent Adams, and taken to the gym by Dee, her mum, Nicola fought (and won, obviously) her first bout in the ring at the tender age of 13.
She became English amateur champion in 2003, aged 21, and retained her title the following three years in a row.
What was her big break?
In 2007, she became the first English female fighter to earn a medal in a major tournament, taking silver at the European Championships in Vejle, Denmark.
From there, Nicola went from strength to strength, taking World Championship silvers in 2008 and 2010 before winning the European Championship in 2011 – she repeated that feat in 2015.
Her dramatic performances at London 2012 were not the only occasion Nicola excelled on home turf – she also took a fine gold medal at the Glasgow Commonwealth Games in 2014.
Even before her phenomenal display at the Rio Olympics, Nicola would have had a decent claim to be on this year’s SPOTY shortlist, having claimed the first World Championship gold medal of her career in Astana, Kazakhstan.
What else do we know about her?
Nicola is bisexual, and has been acclaimed as a positive role model for the LGBT community – in 2012 she topped The Independent on Sunday’s Pink List of the UK’s most influential LGBT figures.
The 34-year-old told the Evening Standard that her sexuality, which she always been open about, has never been an issue.
She said: “No one’s ever really cared about me being bisexual and I only came out because I had always been out, it’s just the general public didn’t know.
“I’m quite fearless. I’m like, ‘Let’s just go out there and do this and see what happens.’”
Nicola has previously spoken of her love of Beyonce, Liverpool FC, the classic Pixar movie Shrek, and snowboarding.
She has also enjoyed cameos in some of Britain’s most-loved TV shows – Nicola has been an extra in Coronation Street and Emmerdale, and played herself in a small appearance on BBC drama Waterloo Road.
The boxing superstar was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s 2013 honours list.
What are the odds on her winning SPOTY 2016?
Unsurprisingly, Nicola was nominated for the award after her first taste of Olympic glory in 2012, finishing seventh as Bradley Wiggins claimed the gong in a stellar year for British sport.
According to Sun Bets, she is unlikely to fare much better here, with her victory odds of 150/1 putting her 12th favourite out of the 16 nominees.
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