Nicola Adams facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nicola Adams OBE
Adams in 2012
Statistics
Nickname(s)	The Lioness, Babyface
Rated at	Flyweight
Height	5 ft 4.5 in
Nationality	British
Born	(1982-10-26) 26 October 1982 (age 42) Leeds, West Yorkshire, England
Boxing record
Total fights	6
Wins	5
Wins by KO	3
Losses	0
Draws	1
Medal record Event 1st 2nd 3rd Olympic Games 2 0 0 World Championships 1 3 0 European Championships 1 1 0 European Games 1 0 0 European Union Championships 2 0 0 Commonwealth Games 1 0 0 Total 8 4 0 Women's amateur boxing Representing  United Kingdom Olympic Games Gold 2012 London Flyweight Gold 2016 Rio de Janeiro Flyweight World Championships Gold 2016 Astana Flyweight European Games Gold 2015 Baku Flyweight Representing  England World Championships Silver 2008 Ningbo Bantamweight Silver 2010 Bridgetown Flyweight Silver 2012 Qinhuangdao Flyweight Commonwealth Games Gold 2014 Glasgow Flyweight European Championships Gold 2011 Rotterdam Flyweight Silver 2007 Vejle Bantamweight EU Championships Gold 2011 Katowice Flyweight Gold 2013 Keszthely Flyweight

Nicola Virginia Adams OBE (born 26 October 1982) is a British former professional boxer. She competed from 2017 to 2019 and retired without losing a single fight. She held the World Boxing Organization (WBO) female flyweight title in 2019.

As an amateur boxer, Nicola made history. She was the first female boxer to win an Olympic gold medal at London 2012. She then became the first double Olympic champion in women's boxing by winning a second gold medal at Rio 2016. Both her Olympic wins were in the flyweight division. By May 2016, she was the reigning Olympic, World, and European Games champion in her weight class. She won every major amateur championship available to her. This included Olympic, Commonwealth, and European Games titles, plus World, European, and European Union championships.

Early Life and Education

Nicola Adams was born in Leeds, West Yorkshire, England, on 26 October 1982. She attended Agnes Stewart Church of England High School in Leeds. She also studied at Hopwood Hall College in Rochdale.

Amateur Boxing Career

Nicola Adams started boxing at the Haringey Police Community Club. She won her first boxing match when she was just 13 years old. However, it took four years for her to find another opponent to fight.

In 2001, she became the first woman boxer to represent England in a fight against an Irish boxer. By 2003, she won her first English amateur champion title. She successfully defended this title for the next three championships.

Major Achievements in Amateur Boxing

In 2007, Nicola Adams became the first English female boxer to win a medal at a big boxing event. She earned a silver medal at the European Championships. The next year, she won another silver at the World Championships in Ningbo, China. This was Britain’s first women’s world championship medal in boxing.

After a back injury in 2009, Nicola returned to win another silver medal at the 2010 World Championships in Bridgetown, Barbados. She competed in the 51kg flyweight category.

Nicola sometimes found it hard to continue her boxing career because she didn't have enough money. She worked as an acting extra on popular TV shows like Coronation Street, Emmerdale, and EastEnders. She also worked as a builder. This changed after the International Olympic Committee decided to fund women's boxing in 2009.

In November 2010, Nicola won the first-ever GB Amateur Boxing Championship. In 2011, she won gold medals at both the European Union Championships and the European Championships. The BBC even featured her as one of "6 Promising Britons to watch in the Olympics" in July 2011.

Olympic Gold Medals

At the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Nicola defeated Mary Kom from India in the semi-final. She then went on to beat Chinese boxer Ren Cancan, who was ranked number one in the world, in the final. This win earned her the first-ever Olympic gold medal in women's boxing.

At the 2014 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow, Nicola won another gold medal. She defeated Michaela Walsh of Northern Ireland in the women's flyweight division.

Nicola successfully defended her Olympic title at the 2016 Rio Olympic games. She defeated Sarah Ourahmoune of France in the final on 20 August, earning her second Olympic gold.

Professional Boxing Career

On 23 January 2017, Nicola Adams announced she was becoming a professional boxer. She signed with promoter Frank Warren. Her first professional fight was on 8 April, where she won against Virginia Carcamo.

After three more wins, all by technical knockout, she fought Isabel Millan for the WBO interim female flyweight title. This fight took place on 6 October 2018. Nicola won by a unanimous decision, becoming the WBO interim champion.

She was set to fight for the full world title on 8 March 2019 against Arely Muciño. However, Nicola had to withdraw due to an injury during training. After Muciño also got injured, the WBO made Nicola the full WBO champion in July 2019.

Her first defense of the title was against Maria Salinas on 27 September 2019. This was the first professional female boxing match held at the Royal Albert Hall. Nicola kept her title after the fight ended in a split draw.

Retirement from Boxing

During her fight with Maria Salinas, Nicola suffered an eye injury. She later found out she had torn the pupil in her eye. Doctors advised her that continuing to box could lead to permanent vision loss.

Because of this, Nicola announced her retirement on 6 November 2019. She shared her decision in an open letter in the Yorkshire Evening Post. She said she was honored to represent her country and win two Olympic gold medals and the WBO championship. However, the sport had taken a toll on her body, and she had to prioritize her eyesight.

After retiring, Nicola Adams became a boxing analyst for the BBC. She covered the Tokyo 2020 and Paris 2024 Olympics.

In April 2021, Nicola joined other British Olympians to launch a campaign called ‘Energy Fit for the Future’. This campaign encouraged people to install smart meters in their homes.

Honours and Awards

Postboxes in Leeds painted gold to celebrate Nicola Adams' Olympic Gold medal win.

Nicola Adams has received many awards and honours throughout her career.

Boxing Championships Medals

Other Recognitions

In 2012, Nicola became the first female boxer to receive an award from the Boxing Writers' Club of Great Britain. She was given the Joe Bromley Award for her amazing contributions to boxing. She was also the first woman ever invited to the club's awards ceremony.

She was nominated for BBC Sports Personality of the Year in 2012.

Nicola was appointed a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE) in 2013. She later became an Officer of the Order of the British Empire (OBE) in 2017 for her services to boxing.

In July 2015, the University of Leeds awarded her an honorary Doctor of Laws degree. In November 2015, she was listed as one of BBC's 100 Women.

In 2019, she was included in the annual Powerlist, which recognizes influential black Britons.

On 2 September 2020, Nicola Adams was announced as a contestant on the eighteenth series of Strictly Come Dancing. She made history by being part of the competition's first same-sex couple with professional dancer Katya Jones. They had to leave the show on 12 November 2020 after Katya tested positive for COVID-19. In July 2024, there were rumors that Nicola might return to Strictly Come Dancing for another chance.

On 5 May 2024, it was announced that Nicola Adams would have her name on a new metal sculpture in Leeds city center. The sculpture, designed by Pippa Hale, celebrates 348 women who have contributed to the city.

Personal Life

On 12 July 2022, Nicola Adams and her partner Ella Baig welcomed their first child.

Television Appearances

Images for kids

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  Nicola Adams (red) at the final of the European Games 2015 in Baku (Azerbaijan)

See also

In Spanish: Nicola Adams para niños