Spartacus Boxing Club member, Akvile Siupieniute, who will represent Ireland and Lithuania at the European Boxing Championships in Germany in December, is pictured with world bronze medallist, Gráinne Walsh, and her first boxing coach and founder of the Spartacus Club, Dima Dmitruk, at a special celebration in the club on Friday evening last which was held to honour her achievement in securing a world bronze medal at the inaugural World Boxing Championships in Liverpool earlier this month.

Gráinne gets hero's welcome on return to local boxing club

Newly-crowned world bronze medallist, Gráinne Walsh, received a hero's welcome last week when she returned to the Tullamore club where she began her boxing journey at the age of 16.

Spartacus Boxing Club, which was officially opened by Katie Taylor in 2012, hosted a special celebration on Friday evening last to honour the achievement of Grainne in securing a world bronze medal at the inaugural World Boxing Championships in Liverpool earlier this month.

Club founder and Gráinne Walsh's coach for over a decade, Dima Dmitruk, praised her “work ethic and dedication” to her training regime over many years, and told members that “nothing is impossible” for people who are prepared to work hard.

“Since joining our club at 16 years of age Gráinne was consistently training hard, and she was always a very good listener, so to reach the heights she has reached, you have to put in a lot of work and make a lot of effort” he said, adding that the Tullamore boxer has shown “by example” what it is possible to achieve.

In a Facebook post the Spartacus Boxing Club, which is based in Cloncollig, thanked Gráinne Walsh for what they described as “a great day” for the club, and added that she was inspiring the next generation with all her “hard work and achievements.”