Firstly, thank you so much to all those who have supported me in this journey so far, it has made a world of difference and helped me push through the harder times. It was such a rewarding experience and I have been training hard since the last event. This time I will be defending my belt at the Industry Boxing Events Summer Banger pt.1 on the 4th of June and would love to continue supporting this amazing charity.

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Hey :)

Some of you might know that I have Ukrainian heritage and I spent the majority of my childhood there in Odessa. Even though I haven’t lived there in a long time or been able to visit due to obvious circumstances, I still have a lot of fond memories from that beautiful country, and most importantly, still have close family and friends who live there. Times have been tough - physically and mentally, but the one thing that has kept our family going is their ability to stay together, in the safety of their own homes.

You might think that escaping the war in Ukraine is a fortunate thing, but for a lot of Ukrainians who were displaced from their homes, who had to leave their careers, livelihoods, familiar language and culture behind it hasn’t been easy. This is why I am raising money for the Leeds Ukrainian Community Association, who regularly organise meetings for the Ukrainian community here in Leeds, provide education for children to preserve our culture in their lives and do so much more for our people both here in the UK and back home on the frontlines. Take a look at their Instagram @leeds.uca to see just how much they contribute to the Ukrainian and general community in Leeds by happily welcoming volunteers and regularly doing fundraisers of their own.

It would mean a lot for me and my family back in Ukraine to see your support for this cause and I will be grateful for any contribution, no matter how small, because it really does count and will make a change in someone’s life.