Renton boxing star Caitlin Kelly sets her sights on Commonwealth Games dream

Renton’s Caitlin Kelly has her sights set on the Commonwealth Games after a golden year for the boxer.

The 20-year-old Antonine Boxing Club fighter became a British champion in June, as well as tasting success at the prestigious Haringey Cup event in London earlier this summer.

And the achievement is made all the more remarkable given she only returned to the sport early in 2022 – having not boxed for almost a decade.

Caitlin told the Lennox: “I started boxing when I was only about nine or 10-years-old at Renton Boxing Club. I had two fights that were unsuccessful so I chucked it.

“I’d been out of the sport for eight years when I returned at the start of 2022.

“James Hilton at Antonine Boxing Club had just started getting the new club up and running and it looked good. It was something I fancied getting back involved with to keep fit and stay off the streets.

“I wanted to do something that was good for me.

“I’ve surprised myself at how far I’ve come since then.

“It’s been a good season. I suffered one loss at the start and the rest have all been wins.

“I’ve won gold in every competition that I entered, so I can’t have too many complaints about that.”

Determined Caitlin is now fully focused on representing Scotland in the 2026 Commonwealth Games, with a gruelling training schedule the key to her success.

She continued: “I had the basics there because I’d done it at such a young age. But by no means was I a good boxer when I started again.

“I picked it up easily and James is a brilliant coach, so I started to pick up success quite quickly.

“I feel like I’ve got a wee bit of a natural talent because of how quickly I’ve picked it up and been successful. But there’s a lot of hard work that goes into getting here.

“I do a four