Lowestoft's boxing star Charley Davison is set to return to action this morning (Thursday) at the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo.
The 27-year-old mother of three - who has her sights set on gold at the world's leading sporting spectacle - is competing for Team GB in the women's flyweight boxing category.
After making her Olympic debut on Sunday, July 25, Davison laid down a marker for the rest of the competition with a unanimous 5-0 points destruction of Morocco’s Rabab Cheddar.
Davison's stunning display was hailed by renowned boxing pundit Steve Bunce as "flawless" and "the best boxing display we've seen so far" after her comprehensive win.
Charley is now scheduled to box at 11.54am on Thursday, July 29 - the final bout of the day at the Kokugikan Arena in Tokyo - as she faces the number two seed from China, Yuan Chang, who has not fought thus far having received a bye in the last 32 after winning the Asian Games qualifying event.
Back in her hometown in Lowestoft, and at Attleborough Boxing Club - where she competes, having become the Norfolk club’s first elite England champion in April 2019 - Charley is set to be cheered onto glory once more.
Family, friends and her proud coaches John Cremin and Frank Bacon - who have overseen her meteoric rise to the top and coached Charley ever since she was eight-years-old - all joined forces to watch, and celebrate, her opening Olympic success.
Hailed as a super-mum by GB Boxing, Davison - an undefeated European boxing champion in her youth - had stepped away from boxing for six years to start a family with her partner Bruce in Lowestoft.
With son Arnell, daughter Amani and second son Amir following, Charley spent six years away from boxing before making an amazing return to the gym in 2018 with coaches Cremin and Bacon moving with her to Attleborough BC.
Within a year Charley had won a senior England Boxing title and belt, before joining Great Britain’s Olympic boxing programme and then in December 2019 she was added to the GB Boxing squad.
Now as her remarkable journey continues, as Charley steps into the ring once more today, her coaches, family and friends will be proudly watching on once more.
Posters and banners have been displayed around Lowestoft as the town roars the popular Olympian onto glory.
Mr Cremin, who has been speaking regularly to Charley since she arrived in Japan, said: "Cheddar was the world number four seed, yet she was well beaten.
"Charley was very, very good on Sunday.
"We had all the flags, banners and posters up with friends, family, Frank and I watching on screen - it was tense.
"But I thought she was outstanding.
"I've had a good chat with her, we've talked through things and she has looked at videos of her next opponent.
"She is happy with how everything is going, is confident and now she's upping the tempo for the next bout."
Admitting it was a case of "onwards and upwards," Cremin said: "She has been running, maintaining the weight and doing lots of pad work and tactical work with the coaches.
"Charley weighed in at 50.5 for the opening bout and she was so dominant.
"She's happy and ready.
"Now the Chinese girl awaits - she had a good pedigree as a junior and won the Asian Games to qualify.
"It will be a different bout to Sunday and more difficult.
"Like Charley, Chang is a southpaw, who is fast - but Charley is lightning and she hits with far more power.
"I have no doubt in my mind she will win."
Mr Cremin said that GB Boxing's Performance Director Rob McCracken was "over the moon" with Charley's display, admitting she had "boxed brilliantly."
Cremin added: "It is all good, and Charley has to keep going now to win two more bouts to get in the medals.
"The draw has not been favourable as all the Eastern Europeans are boxing in the other group.
"Charley is in the toughest side of the draw by far with the Bulgarian, the American, the Colombian - who is third seed - and the Indian, who is a three time world champion.
"But that doesn't worry her - she is fully focused on the next bout and getting things done.
"Charley is confident - she is not fazed by anything.
"She has this steely determination and attitude 'I can beat all of them'."
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