Medals mounted at the Women’s Winter Box Cup as Army fighters ended 2024 on a high.
Cfn Niamh Brookes (REME), Cpl Charlotte Tasker (RAMS) and Pte Kasharna Williams (RLC) all topped the podium at the two-day competition in Leigh, with Cpl Felicity Johnstone and Pte Frankie Barnett (both RLC) claiming silvers.
The soldiers were competing as part of a UKAF squad that claimed a host of honours over the course of the weekend.
Victory proved particularly sweet for Tasker, who also won at the event in 2023, given her relative lack of ring time this season.
The 57kg fighter started in style by forcing a first-round stoppage in her semi-final and then triumphed over Islington’s Amy Joseph via a unanimous verdict in the final.
“I’m very happy as I haven’t been training full-time,” she told SoldierSport.
“I’ve lacked that consistent coaching, but I’ve kept my fitness up and I thought if I’m going to do well it will be because of that, rather than my technical ability.
“I knew I could stop my opponent in the semi and then in the final, I was up against a taller fighter.
“I decided to close the distance and push forward, and that proved decisive.
“I believed I could win. I’d done a mental resilience course the month before and that changed my mindset. It was only six minutes of boxing so I went for it.”
Tasker is now eyeing success at the Scottish National Championships later this year.
“I won the development competition last January at the weight above and hopefully I can drop down and add the elite title to that,” she added.
