Kacie Doocey is fit and ready for her pro boxing debut after overcoming body image issues

The Swinton lightweight (22) is due to make her entrance into the paid ranks at around nine stone nine pounds.

That is a far healthier look than the seven stones she has weighed in at in the past.

Now she hopes extra power and strength will reflect her nutritional gains when she takes on Beccy Ferguson at the Magna Centre, Rotherham, on July 5 on a Jamie-Sheldon/Ryan Rhodes bill.

The former pupil of Swinton Comprehensive and Kilnhurst Primary was a national amateur champion last year and has been sparring this week with the likes of WBC Interim World Super Lightweight champion Chantelle Cameron.

The future of the Steve Nettleship-trained athlete appears promising now that she has put her food issues behind her.

She told the Advertiser: "For a while, I was really thin; I went through a big eating disorder problem. My coaches warned me I wouldn't be able to box if I were this skinny.

"I was thinking too much about food and how I looked rather than the actual boxing," said Kacie, who is a personal trainer.

"It wasn't about making weight for boxing, it was just me as a person, I was really obsessive and I have always been like that.

"When I was younger, I was OCD about what clothes to wear, and then it changed to other things I was obsessed with."

Kacie said she was preoccupied by her appearance.

"It started when I was doing circuits. I was obsessed with what I looked like, obsessed with eating healthily and losing weight.

"No matter how much weight I would lose I wanted to lose more and more. It just got into a cycle.

"I was scared about putting on weight. I was constantly thinking about food and it was making me really miserable."

Her family guided her through the situation.

"I hadn't really seen it as a problem but then it started to get at me mentally and I thought: 'I need to change'.

"My dad suggested I should occasionally eat something that I'd never normally touch like a chocolate bar. Something that challenges me.

"I remember being bang on seven stone. It was definitely unhealthy, but I just wouldn't eat anything I thought was wrong.

My doctor said my heart and blood pressure were fine but it wasn't a healthy weight to be for my age and height (5ft 6ins)."

With the issue behind her, Kacey hopes to make a success of sport in the same way her father did.

"I got into boxing during Covid. Obviously, the gym was closed and my dad was always into MMA and boxing so we just started doing pads in the garden for fitness and ended up trying a little spar, and I got hooked on it.

"My debut means everything. You only get one so I have to enjoy it and show everyone who I am. I want to make a good opening statement."