Katie Taylor finished preparation for her Croke Park farewell against unbeaten Flora Pili by inviting a young fan into the ring to train with her.
Once Taylor had completed her session at Wednesday’s open workout, she picked out Clodagh Keating from the crowd at random, gloved up her right hand and then coached her to throw some shots while moving.
Keating, a 10-year-old aspiring boxer from Dublin who has been learning the basics in classes, burst into tears at the prospect of being in the ring with her idol and then had her hand held aloft when the session was over.
Taylor is aiming to become a three-time undisputed world champion by defeating Pili with a sold out 80,000 crowd in attendance for her final fight before retiring.
Speaking at the ticketed event at The Helix in Dublin, Taylor said: “Just feeling the atmosphere in this small arena, I can’t imagine what Saturday evening is going to be like.
“This is what it’s all about for me. It’s just an absolute joy to be here. I’m so grateful for what I get to do. I actually love every single day and I don’t take this for granted.
“In a few days I’ll make my last ring walk and I’ll look back on this in a few years and I imagine I’ll be overwhelmed.”
The Olympic gold medallist continued: “For the last few months I’ve been training to give my career best performance, purely for everyone’s support over these last few years.
“The last 30 years of my whole career, you guys have been with me from the start. You were with me throughout the London 2012 Olympics, you were with me through the heartbreak of Rio and then you stayed with me when I turned pro. I’m so grateful, thank you so much.”
Taylor turned 40 early last month but the ‘Bray Bomber’, who has posted 25 wins in 26 fights, is ready for what will be the most cherished moment of her career.
She said: “I feel great. I think 40 is the new 30 or something! I actually just turned 40 a few weeks ago, but I feel great – thank God.
“I’m obviously expecting a tough fight, but this is what I’m made for, this what I’m born for. I love the tough challenges. I love the tough fights.
“This isn’t going to be a walk in the park. I’ve got a tough, young challenger in front of me.
“I purposely chose a tough challenger for my final fight. I’ve built up my reputation taking the tough fights all throughout my whole career. Why treat my last fight any differently?”
