Main content

I knocked out sexism in British boxing

When Jane Couch won the women鈥檚 boxing world title it wasn鈥檛 even legal for her to box at home in the UK. The struggle to get her sport recognised became her most gruelling fight.

When Jane Couch won the women鈥檚 boxing world title, it wasn鈥檛 even legal for her to box at home in Britain. The struggle to get her sport recognised would become her most gruelling fight, as she faced scepticism and sexism from many quarters. She told Jo Fidgen about the physical and mental strain she endured during her career, and how she had to rebuild her life after boxing.

When Samra Habib was 13 she discovered that her family planned for her to marry her cousin when she turned 18. She knew that wasn鈥檛 the life she wanted, so ran away from home. When she later accepted that she was in fact queer, she came out in a national newspaper, reuniting with her family and starting to visit a queer-friendly mosque.

Picture: Jane Couch during a fight in 2005
Credit: Getty Images

Available now

53 minutes

Last on

Tue 4 Feb 2020 04:06GMT

Broadcasts

  • Mon 3 Feb 2020 12:06GMT
  • Mon 3 Feb 2020 16:06GMT
  • Mon 3 Feb 2020 18:06GMT
  • Mon 3 Feb 2020 21:06GMT
  • Mon 3 Feb 2020 23:06GMT
  • Tue 4 Feb 2020 03:06GMT
  • Tue 4 Feb 2020 04:06GMT

Contact Outlook

Contact Outlook

Info on how we might use your contribution on air

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Podcast: Lives Less Ordinary

Step into someone else鈥檚 life and expect the unexpected