Rosie Eccles knows more than most about resilience and hopes both she and kindred spirit Andy Murray can crown their journeys back from the brink with Olympic medals at Roland Garros.
The boxer, 27, will represent Team GB in the welterweight division (-66kg) at Paris 2024 having battled back from a Covid-inflicted attack on her nervous system which left her unable to dress herself.
She has since caught Covid on three further occasions but insists she is ready to take on the world in the ring having booked her place with bronze at last year’s European Games.
Eccles’ selection has now been officially ratified by the British Olympic Association (BOA) and if the Welsh fighter makes it to the medal rounds, she will compete at the iconic home of French tennis.
Whether Murray will also do so remains unconfirmed but Eccles has taken heart from the story of the two-time Olympic champion as she prepares for her own big stage bow.
“I’m not someone who has many role models but he is definitely one,” she said. “His grit and determination is really inspiring. I love the way he plays and chases the ball down, I can be a bit like a dog with a bone sometimes so I can relate to that.
“I’ve always looked up to his mentality. I think a lot about how strong he is to have come back from what he has been through. I have always had setbacks myself. I got turned away from boxing gyms as a kid, I’ve had serious injuries, but I have built so much resilience.
“I truly believe I can deal with anything. I’ll be ready to go come the Olympics and I have that inner confidence I can make it happen when it matters. I’m excited, there’s a lot of pressure on it and it’s so hard to get gold. But I know if I turn up and bring my best, I can do it.”
