A Wimbledon-based boxing gym are making the sport more accessible with free women-only classes, designed to get rid of the barriers to participation.
In the 14 years since Katie Taylor became the first female Olympic lightweight champion, women’s boxing has been on the rise.
Rachel Bower, the head coach of the women’s only sessions at RathboneABC, recognised the importance of the sessions.
Bower said: “I had women who weren’t particularly comfortable going into mainstream gyms or exercising boxing with men around. I just wanted them to still have something to go to so they didn’t have to stop.
“I think it’s just a no-judgement environment. We’re all in the same boat. Everyone’s at their own pace, all different shapes and sizes… It’s just a really nice family environment.”
She explained that current sessions started in a community space, funded and completely free but emphasised that the problem with these kinds of projects is that funding only lasts for short periods.
The women’s only classes at RathboneABC have provided a space to go into a boxing gym with little to no experience or knowledge of boxing and feel as though they belong.
The classes being free makes them accessible to the wider residents of Wimbledon without having to consider the costs of attending, which, for some, would have stopped attendance.
Emma and Caroline, two attendees of the sessions, attested to this.
Caroline said: “Boxing is something that was completely out of my comfort zone. That has helped with my confidence. Boxing is something that we never, ever thought we would do.”
Emma explained: “I wouldn’t have been able to afford it if I had to pay for it. I don’t think I would be able to go.”
Bower has coached for around 20 years and designed the classes not for those to compete but to enjoy the benefits of the sport. She added that having the financial aspect taken off this removes a barrier.
She explained: “By making these sessions free and taking away the costs, they don’t have to make a financial decision on that. And they don’t have to feel like they’re being selfish. They can give themselves something back.
“These ones specifically, they’re probably not going to increase participation in competitive boxing, two very different things.”
Despite recreational and competitive boxing having a clear differentiation, women’s boxing has experienced growth throughout the years on both ends of the spectrum, from grassroots through to professional boxing.
There has been a 65% surge since 2017 in female membership in boxing, with 40% of traditional boxing gyms now offering women’s-only classes according to England Boxing.
Mainstream professional women’s boxing has also experienced this rise, with 74 million viewers of the November 2024 match between Taylor and Amanda Serrano, making it the most popular women’s professional sport in US history.
You can join Rathbone ABC classes by contacting [email protected].
Featured image courtesy of Rachel Bower
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