Trailblazing bisexual Olympic gold medalist Nicola Adams just announced her retirement from boxing
Nicola Adams of England celebrates winning against Elena Savelyeva of Russia in the Women’s 51kg semifinals during the AIBA Women’s World Boxing Championships in 2012. (Feng Li/Getty Images)
Two-time Olympic gold medallist and world champion boxer Nicola Adams has announced her retirement from boxing.
Adams went pro after taking home gold medals from London 2012 and Rio 2016 Olympics, and then became the WBO flyweight world champion.
But she suffered from an eye injury and, on Wednesday 6 November, announced that she had been warned that further impact in the ring could lead to permanent vision loss, so she would be retiring.
Adams has previously opened up about coming out as bisexual, but said that her family’s reaction was positive.
“You never know how the family is going to react, so I was nervous,” the boxer told GQ.
“Mum was in the kitchen washing up and I was like, ‘I’ve got something to tell you.’ … I was really sweating, and she says, ‘What’s wrong?’ And I was just like, ‘I’m bisexual.’
“And she was like, ‘OK, put the kettle on.’ She said she kind of already knew.”
I've made the very difficult decision to step down from the ring. I wrote a letter for my hometown in today's paper who have championed me from the beginning but also wanted to say an enormous thank you here, for all the love and support #newbeginnings #DreamBig ?? pic.twitter.com/9lmQYIjOZC
— Nicola Adams (@NicolaAdamsOBE) November 6, 2019
Bisexual boxer Nicola Adams thanked her local community in an open letter.
The Leeds-born athlete wrote an open letter in the Yorkshire Evening Post to thank her local community for their support.
She wrote: “Having people in my life who are a fountain of support, kindness and love, has been the sole reason I’ve been able to represent my country in the way I have.
“It has been an honour to compete on the global stage, and it has been a privilege to fight against such remarkable athletes.
“While I am proud of my achievements, the unwavering belief from everyone in my corner, is something I will appreciate for the rest of my life.”
Adams thanked her team, her coach and the people who encouraged her throughout her incredible boxing career.
She continued: “It wouldn’t have felt right to announce my departure from the sport without first expressing my feelings to the people who have championed me since my early days.
“You have stuck with me through the most dark and daunting times.
“In moments where I felt down and defeated, it has been your unfaltering support that has helped me persevere… Hanging up my gloves was always going to hard, but I have never felt luckier, and I’m so immensely proud of how far the sport has come.”
