THE first female fighter in the history of March Amateur Boxing Club is set to make her debut in the ring on Friday in front of a full house at the Braza Club.

Vicky Larham will take on an 18 year-old fighter from Norwich at March ABC’s show, just months after taking up the sport.

The talented 25-year-old, who has also played football for Aston Villa and Peterborough Ladies, said she is proud to be the first woman to pull on the gloves for the club since its formation in 1949.

“I started to box to channel my aggression and now I’ve fallen in love with it,” she said. “I just love the training. I like hard work and I like putting myself in a bit of pain.

“It keeps you fit but it also keeps you thinking - it can be like a game of chess. Since starting boxing I feel like I’ve become a better person; it’s given me more discipline and patience and its calmed me down.”

Larham, a personal trainer, said her first experience of boxing was training as a youngster with March ABC coach Bernie Wing and Commonwealth champion Louise Hazel. She is now training four times a week.

“It can be intense,” she said. “We had a session on Saturday and nobody got much conversation out of me for the rest of the day.

“If you’re putting the right effort in then you should be knackered. I have felt sick a couple of times, but that’s when you know you’ve worked hard enough.

“Obviously most people see it as a male dominated sport. Hopefully my fight will encourage other ladies to get into it - if I can do it, then they can.”

Larham’s debut will be one of the highlights at March ABC’s show, which will feature a host of young Fenland boxers and starts at 8pm.

“I’m a bit nervous but I’m not telling too many people that,” she said. “When I’m in the ring I zone out and forget that anyone is around me. I’m going to try and suck the energy out of her and everytime she hits me I’m going to hit her back harder.”

Friday’s show follows a disappointing last week for March ABC, where fighters Conor Crosby, Cole Stevens, Danny Hedges and Mark Crosby all suffered narrow defeats on points.