This entry is about the 26-year old, London 2012 boxing gold medalist from Watford, Anthony Joshua (also known as ‘AJ’). He currently stands at 6ft6 inches tall, with a reach of eighty three inches, and is the WBC champion, holding a fantastic, undefeated record in the heavyweight division of fourteen fights, fourteen wins and fourteen knockouts.

Four years before the London olympics (Beijing 2008), Joshua had no awareness of amateur boxing or it’s standing in the Olympics. Anthony stated “My Dad took me boxing a few times, when i was fifteen, but i was always more interested in doing weights and what else i could be doing – like getting ready to go out on a Friday night instead of going to the gym. I was more interested in trying to be flash.” He was always in trouble with the police in his area being a causation for crimes in his neighbourhood.

Eventually, he decided to take up boxing (relatively late, aged eighteen), however still went onto win the English ABA 91+Kg title with absolute ease. After impressive performances, he was selected for the Great Britain squad. Despite the sudden change of his attitude, he still suffered a couple of stepbacks, especially in 2010, when he was sentenced to a twelve-month community order and one hundred hours of unpaid work. Once the sentence was official, he said “I could have chosen more trouble, but i chose less trouble. I wasn’t allowed to box. That was a big shock to realise what i could potentially achieve if i kept my head down.” His community service involved working with elderly people. He added “I helped do a lot of gardening, in the north Finchley allotments, aswell as the benefit of the hard, physical work. Six days a week, it was me, the spade and the wheelbarrow. Then, i went to train. That’s all finished now, everything’s boxing!”

Once the community order had finalized, Joshua put in a ridiculous amount of hard work, always being the first and last person in the gym. He’d consistently ask questions, and soak up all the possible advice that was available from the coaches there. The London 2012 Olympic games had finally come, and very quickly Joshua found himself in the final. He was up against one of the world’s greatest amateur boxers Roberto Cammarelle (who was the defending super-heavyweight Olympic gold medalist). It was Joshua who ended up coming out on top, due to a world-class performance, and was named on the list of Olympic champions, alongside name like Lennox Lewis and Wladamir Klitschko.

A year later he signed his professional boxing contract with promoter Eddie Hearn and has never looked back. Without a doubt, he is expected to be a next world champion. Despite winning his matches very early on in his fights, he still maintains the same level of training, for example once his match is finished, he’ll train on the pads, until he has completed a full twelve rounds. His entire life has been transformed dramatically all because of one sport. His now considered a huge role model, and is a very caring and polite male inside and outside the ring.

In such a short amount of time, boxing has effected Anthony in so many ways, whether it’s his attitude, physical appearance or his work ethic. It has completely changed him, and i believe this is not only an influencing life story, but also proves how just applying yourself to a hobby can benefit you in so many different ways.