Judy Murray's ITV show encouraging girls into sport packed a punch in Manchester

22.01.2022 - 19:41 / manchestereveningnews.co.uk

Judy Murray OBE and the team behind her ITV show encouraging girls into sport visited Manchester as part of its mission to encourage girls into sport.

Boxing trainer Joe Gallagher was joined at his gym on Rochdale Road by Natasha Jonas, the first female boxer to represent Great Britain in an Olympic Games, mixed martial arts star Molly McCann and the team from Judy's new ITV series Driving Force.

The show is about levelling up the playing field and introducing girls and young women to sport as a career, and in this case boxing.

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The team delivered a masterclass for 31 young women and girls from Manchester, including 11 students of The Joe Gallagher Academy.

Judy, renowned tennis coach and mother of two-time Wimbledon champion Andy Murray, said: "We are running this series of masterclasses to showcase our own sports and encourage people to get involved in taking part or delivering it.

"We need more women in the workforce and more mums to get involved locally at clubs.

"This is about raising awareness and doing something about it beyond the series.”

One of the participants Paige Howarth said: “I want to be the best. I started quite late, I have only been boxing two years, so I started later than my opponents.

"But it's that drive, when you find something that you are good at and that you are passionate about, you just want to give it your all, and have no regrets."

And Millie Backhouse said: "My driving force is making my family proud, doing myself proud, and proving the people who told me I can’t wrong.

"My inspiration in Natasha Jonas and Tyson Fury, their story’s are amazing and I’d like to be