Sheffield boxer Nicola Barke gives boxing a second chance as she returns to fight in her debut match for promoter Frank Warren this March – her first fight in three months.
The 30-year-old who fights in the light-welterweight category, discovered she had a brain tumour just before she was about to renew her professional boxing licence last December.
After months of training at Sheffield’s most popular boxing club, the Steel City Gym, Miss Barker was told she needed brain surgery as soon as possible.
She said that after the tumour was discovered, it was a “difficult and emotional time for her and her family.”
She said: “I have always had a blind positivity to things. I believe whatever life throws at me becomes another part of my story so I get over it quickly. But this was different. I could only think of how I would have to give up boxing and how my life would change drastically.”
She added: “My mum burst into tears when I initially told her. All my family and friends just assumed it was a death sentence.
“Because of their reaction I couldn’t not really show my emotions. I wasn’t a hundred percent transparent about my emotions. I had to be strong for my friends and family.”
Despite feeling “lost” after her diagnosis, Miss Barke vowed not to give up boxing. After many trips to the hospital and multiple scans, a specialist neurologist told her the brain tumour was non-cancerous and would not need to undergo surgery.
She said: “It was the biggest relief of my life. Within days the doctors went from we were 90 percent sure you will need to have brain surgery to we are happy to monitor it from now. Now the tumour was known to be benign I’m grateful it was found and they looked at it over again.”
She added: “The final report I got from the doctors stated they would continue to monitor the tumour for the rest of my boxing career and I am still happy to undergo surgery anytime.”
However the British Boxing Board of Control were not happy to release her boxing licence. Spending almost three hours with a neuropsychiatrist just to make sure her cognitive function was still sharp, which she described as intense, Miss Barker is happy to get the all-clear from doctors.
She said: “I understand the necessity of all of this as the whole point of boxing is to hit each other other on the head. And when boxing you need to make quick decisions in the moment, you need to process information quickly and recognise patterns people are throwing. So I am happy that they are making sure I am fit for boxing professionally again.”
Miss Barke, who is originally from Luton, started off as a ballet dancer but decided to turn boxing into a professional career two years ago.
She said: “It has been the most emotional months of my life. I am not scared of going back to practising boxing . If anything this experience has fuelled me more. It feels like this is my opportunity to give life and my dream a go. It is a reminder for me that we have only one life and I have to make the most of it.”
After months of uncertainty she returns to fight in her debut match for promoter Frank Warren this March.