Girls Know Nothing - S2 Ep33: Fran Hennessy | YouTube Boxing, Training & Family

Episode Date: September 27, 2023

Girls Know Nothing: UK Top Female Empowerment Podcast Hosted By Sharon Gaffka  GKN Social Channels: Https://linktr.ee/girlsknownothing  Instagram: @girlsknownothingpod  Tiktok: @girlsknownothingpod TikTok: @girlsknownothing

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welcome back to another episode of girls know nothing today's guest is a two-time national champion golden girls champion and women's winter box cup champion at the age of 18 francesca hennessey is an up-and-coming boxing star to watch who's also been the face of women in sports and stronger sports bra campaign which calls for the uk government to subsidize sports kits including bras for girls from low-income families after it was found that 36 of girls aged 11 to 18 don't wear a sports bar when participating in pe or at sports in school. So welcome to the studio, Fran. Can I just say, please don't punch me for asking you a question.

No, no, no. Please. No, not literally. Not literally. I always find it really funny because I know you and I always see you as like, oh, sweet little Fran. But if I pissed you off, you'd punch me. I would not punch. Honestly, I hate, if you put me in a boxing ring you know I'm on smoke but outside I'm like no confrontation please that I could see that actually I hate confrontation I can't stand it so you're you know everyone knows your dad is right so um can you give us a little

bit about your background and what motivated you to want to start boxing? Because your sister doesn't box. No, she doesn't. Well, basically, I was a bit of a tomboy when I was younger. You know, I followed my brother around. And yeah, so I'd follow him everywhere. He'd be boxing. My dad would be going with him boxing.

I'd beg them to go to the boxing gym with me. They wouldn't really take much notice of me. But when I'd be in the boxing gym and my dad would look over I'd like go really hard on the bag and stuff but my mum and dad like they never wanted me to box even though obviously we're in a boxing family they just never really wanted their little girl to box you know um but until we went to a gym one day and this girl needed sparring um they was like, oh, can you spar? My dad was like, no, she doesn't have a gunfield. Pulled a gunfield out of my bag. She doesn't have a headguard. Pulled a headguard out of my bag.

And I got in there and my dad was like, wow, she's been watching everything we've been doing. And then from that day, he was just like, you can box. Do you think it was a protective thing or the fact that you were a girl they were a bit like about you boxing I think a bit of both to be honest I do think they was looking at me like oh she's our little girl we don't want her to get punched you know it's and it was like a new thing at the time for female boxers to be boxing and stuff because this was when I was about 11 10 like I was only young But yeah, I think also it was a protective thing because obviously my dad's been there, like he's seen things and he already had his son doing it.

So I think he just was like, yeah, not my daughter as well. Do you think it was the fact they were like, no, you shouldn't do it that pushed you or spurred you on to want to get into it? Definitely, like it made me like a lot more strong I think I believe it's made me what I am now you know like very headstrong push through things and um yeah it made my love a lot more for the sport because when you can't have something you want it more

don't you really so yeah make me want it more I mean there's so many people always hesitant about unconventional career choices and you like you said boxing for women is considered an unconventional career choice. How do you deal with people with skepticism and people's doubts of you when when you try to prove yourself in a boxing ring? You know what, I like if someone says to me they don't believe females should box or something obviously I take offense to it deep down but I just say sure if that's your opinion that's your opinion and I believe when I get in there I'll prove them wrong every time because I know the work I'm putting in is just the same amount as what a man puts in and so like why shouldn't I

get the opportunity to do what they do if I'm good at it or well I think it's it's down to the fact that it's always been male dominated industry but isn't all sport in general generally just male dominated yeah and I can imagine it gives you really unique challenges that maybe your brother would never necessarily face so you know do you have any like notable experiences when you when as a female athlete that you had deal with your brother would never have to I've had people say to me before I have people say to me all the time, they don't agree with girls boxing and obviously like where it's my life, it's literally I don't think I have a function properly about it.

Obviously you get offended by it and I don't see why people think that I shouldn't have the chance to do what they do just because I'm a female. You know, like, like you don't even I'm a girly girl I love you know dressing up I love putting makeup on but it doesn't mean I can't get in there and you know I throw hands if I need to so it it is hard when you get comments thrown at you and people like oh because you're a girl you shouldn't don't get punched in your pretty face like it's a nice but yeah it's it's hard but do you think it means you don't get the same level of like support when it comes to training camps as your male athlete counterparts um no to be honest my training camp like my dad's my my trainer brad

you know they're all very supportive of me and obviously now women's boxing is a way bigger thing people are learning to live with it a bit more like so my training camp I get pushed just as hard as like my brother does so it's it's fine for me now but it might have been different for girls back in the day like with things like that or maybe like if they hadn't had like family yeah because I can imagine like I mean it's not the same level but my parents were really against me playing football yeah it was like an aggressive sport so I couldn't even imagine what it'd be like if I turn around to my mum's like by the way I'm gonna start boxing I remember listening in the kitchen and my mum and dad were like saying like if they should let me

or not and they was just like no she's not boxing and I remember I went into them crying and I said were you to stop me from doing like pursuing my dreams yeah and from then they was like you know how can we not let her do this it's because I I loved it like I still do I like even as a young girl I loved it and hearing my parents say you can't do this it was horrible because in my head I'm thinking of all the things I could potentially do and stuff and yeah is there have there ever been like moments where you felt like you had to try even harder just to prove yourself to like not maybe not to your family or like your training camp but like to everyone else around it that in even in boxing industry? Definitely like every day

I push very very hard now I try to push myself to the next level just because obviously there is that stigma, stigma with girls boxing and there's all different types of things on you. So yeah, I try to push myself as hard as I can just because of those things. You recently made your Sky Sports debut. Congratulations. Thanks, Sarah. It's an amazing milestone, but how much does that moment mean to you? What was it like to actually have to make that debut?

I can't fit into words what it was like to hear that be announced. Since I've been a young girl, I've been dreaming of this day, so for it to finally happen, it was honestly surreal for me. Do you think it gives you an additional pressure to perform though of course it does like everyone's looking at me I'm on a massive platform I'm a young girl they're all thinking is she gonna is she gonna crumble is she not but for me pressure is like pressure pushes me on and I believe I definitely won't crumble and it will make me a superstar by the way I perform.

I think there's a weird thing with the boxing industry at the moment where I feel like I can imagine professional athletes get really frustrated at the rise of influencer boxing because I can imagine there is so much money in that because of people's followings when you've been training your entire life for something and it doesn't get the same level like what do you actually think about influencer boxing no like a lot of people are against it but i'm actually not against it i think you know it brings more eyes to the sport there's a lot more youtuber fans who are boxing fans now so i think it's good for the sport obviously yeah like maybe for the higher level boxers,

it's a lot more frustrating for them because they're not getting paid the same amount as these YouTuber boxers, you know. But I see like the likes of Jake Paul and everyone, they put in a lot of hard work. So why shouldn't they get the same chance to do what we do? You know, I'd class him as a boxer now. Would you fight an influencer?

No. Don't use this as a calling out thing you know what no i would just because like if they turned into an actual boxer and it was there definitely but just because if they're just doing it for influencer boxing i wouldn't want to portray myself that i'm just doing it for that you know yeah I'm just a female athlete doing what I love you know I'm not doing it for this spotlight or whatever so so if an influencer met you as to where you are you would but you wouldn't come to an influencer boxing if they so for instance say they you know became actual professional boxer they actually wanted to pursue it and our paths

met definitely like if it's in the pipeline of course but yeah I wouldn't go into influencer boxing definitely so we obviously like in terms of women's sport has come a long way this year especially with like female football and like now everyone's looking at female sports in general do you see see your achievements as like an empowering thing for young women especially ones that want to become want to pursue boxing definitely like I you know I had someone to look up to when I was younger in Savannah Marshall you know I always looked up to her so I'd love to be that person that some other young girls can look up to and you know want to do what I do so I've had like a couple it's been weeks I had a few young girls you know message me do what I do so I've had like a couple it's been weird because I had a few

young girls you know message me and I've said you know after my fight I'll do sessions with them and stuff but I love stuff like that I love you know helping the younger generation and things like that so what would be your biggest piece of advice for any aspiring boxer just try not listen to what anyone else has to say you know if you can go as far as you think you can you know just keep pushing like it's a hard sport you have to you have to want it you can't you know just play it but if you believe you can do it then don't let anyone else jeopardize that so how would you go even I don't even know how you go about finding like a place to box or train do you know what you just go like the closest place to you everyone thinks

like it's intimidating because you know obviously boxing people thinking oh it's going to be all but honestly you go into a boxing gym it's the most friendly place you have everyone's there no one cares who you are what you do what you know no one cares about that it's just a good community I can imagine it I always thought it'd be really scary place to be because there is a boxing gym near me and I always think about oh maybe I maybe I go and then I'm like no actually it's too scary no it's like I think that when I'm younger but now like when I go into boxing gym it is my safe space I love it in there it's like you know it's my scary person I'm talking about. I'm not that scary, am I? Maybe when I'm across the ring, but not outside.

Beyond boxing, how do you envision your contributions to sport and empowering young women? You know, I'd love to be more than just a fighter. You know, I'd love young girls to look up for me, for what I stand for, you know,'d love to like young girls to look up for me for what I stand for you know like being a nice person not just being a fighter inside the ring how I hold myself outside as well yeah I'd love um even they don't even have to be interested in boxing just young girls to be able to look up for me for things like that but I did see that um you did some charity work in terms of getting younger girls to wear sports bras during sport. Why was that such an important avenue for you to go down?

For me, I've never struggled with anything like that. I've been lucky enough and privileged enough to be able to always have a sports bra. Whereas other young girls, when I heard that, you know, they were playing sport and they feel self-conscious, you know, because they haven't got a sports bra on, it kind of upset me a little bit because I've never been in that position before. And it just made me feel like I wanted to help them. So if they do have a dream, you know,

them not having a sports bra and feeling self-conscious, it could jeopardise that for them. So, yeah, it pulled on my heartstrings a little bit when I read about the charity work I was actually I thought about when I first started playing sports and I didn't have a sports bra but it wasn't because it wasn't accessible but I just didn't even know those things existed because no one in my family really played sport no definitely I think when you get to like say young girls you get to a higher level level of sport or something then you start you know noticing it because obviously like your boobs are getting bigger they're jiggling about everywhere you know and it can get a bit

uncomfortable say if you're just wearing a normal bra or I think and a lot of young girls have actually come out and said that they feel self-conscious you know if they don't have a sports bra so I think it's actually quite an important thing that people like overlook do what is the main goal with that with that charity work and that organization just like I think the main goal to be honest is to just like involve it in school kit on the list because it's not on a lot of schools kit list which is where I missed out yeah it should be like for young girls wanting to pursue a dream in sport or anything people think oh it's just a sports bra but they might not want to run as much as they can they might want to jump as much as

they can because they haven't got that on so I think definitely just to get it on all the school kit lists for young girls you know and that would be perfect I think I think it's it is really it's generally something I never considered when I was younger and like I said like none of my family ever considered it because they just go down a list of things and it was not on there or even considered and actually I went to an all-girls school yeah so for it to never be even spoken about at an all-girls school and I played three different types of sport outside of school and no one had ever spoken to me about it yeah and I don't think I ever bought my first sports bra until I was like 18 that's what it is it is mad like just

because I like didn't really think about anything like that but when I started getting serious in boxing then I realized I did need one like because before I actually didn't have one and I was using like just a normal bra but then when I started getting more serious about boxing and things you do get self-conscious about those little things thinking oh has my boob popped out or anything like that you know it's like I think just in general for young girls it should be on the kit list I think the idea now for me to train without a sports bra would be like me training in jeans. That's what I mean.

That's how I equate it to. It feels uncomfortable. And as well, it can actually damage your boobs as well, just training in a normal bra. A lot of people don't know that, but it can damage your boobs. I didn't know that. Yeah, it can damage. I just thought if you were boxed, I'm not getting punched in it,

it'd be fine. Yeah, it's true, um how do you balance your personal aspirations with your professional commitments because i mean you were saying with when you walked in here today you already trained twice today yeah and then being like on a diet plan to gain weight like to make weight how do you balance a personal life with that when you're like in camp to be honest you don't really have your personal life like I wouldn't go out with my friends or I wouldn't do anything like that when when I'm in camp you know I'm in the zone I'd obviously I come to do like things like this like work wise but yeah it's it's hard when you're training constantly the last thing you want to be doing is like going out or you know or even if you're on your diet the last thing you want

to be doing is going out being around me talking about food all the time sorry i can imagine that's really hard as like an 18 year old who realistically should be out socialising and all that stuff. It is hard. I just had to miss out on my friend's girl's holiday because my fight got pushed back. But these things, I know they're going to pay off in the meantime. So I love boxing so much. I don't think I could function properly without it.

So I'm prepared to make these sacrifices for it. And you can't live both lives, I don't think I could function properly without it so I'm prepared to make these sacrifices for it and you can't you can't live both lives I don't believe obviously you can enjoy yourself but you can't be a party girl or drinking all the time because you it you can't you can't do both. Are your friends really supportive of your career choice? Oh yeah my friends like they're so supportive you know they come to all my fights. I love that. Yeah they're like even small things like say if I went out like they would they don't care I don't drink they don't care about things like that in the past I had friends who would say oh you're boring because you don't drink you're this you're that but my friends now you know they're very solid and they like appreciate everything I

do and yeah they're really supportive. To be fair you came out for dinner once with me and i remember being like oh she's not going to drink her wine i'll drink it for her yeah more for me yeah exactly but it's hard it's hard because you know you see everyone else having fun drinking and stuff but you know when you know it's going to come with it it's okay yeah i mean if you knew your sky sports debut was coming glass of wines are relevant yeah I'm never gonna have that so I mean obviously not everyone is as fortunate as you are to have those supportive friends and a supportive circle so you know if there is anyone out there that are striving to achieve and follow their passions but don't have that same support system what

advice would you give them if their friends aren't supporting them and they need to get new like you know they need to realize that they're not their true friends you know like it having good people around you in a sport like this is very important and it's very hard to find as well as i'm very fortunate to have good people around me with what I do but if you don't then I'd say leave the people who aren't helping you and try and find like don't find obviously but you know see the good in people like who are going to help you not people who are going to put you down and try get you to do things you shouldn't be doing when you're in a sport like

you can't be doing stuff like that I think as well if you spend most of your time in a boxing gym there's no way that you're not going to have friends that no of course in a boxing gym everyone's friends that's the thing like if if you're worried about friends and stuff go to a boxing gym because no one cares who you are what you're like what you do everyone's just friends in there like I'll go to the boxing gym and if I come into work a couple of weeks later with a black eye I'm gonna blame you yeah blame me I'll spy you. I'm not doing that. Actually, I don't want to spy you.

How is that? I should be scared of you and not the other way around. No, I'm actually a little bit scared of you, Sharon. Oh, you don't want to put that message out into the world. I'm not a scary person. No, I'm joking. She's not. Maybe if you were not, you could never annoy me,

but I'd only be scary if you annoyed me. I can get a bit annoying sometimes. It's all right, don't worry. I promise I won't fight you. But I always ask all of my guests a similar final question. What piece of advice would you offer to your younger self based on your career and life journey so far? I'd say to my younger self, I'd say keep pushing, keep, you know, keep striving for what you want to do don't

listen to everyone anyone and you're going to get to where you want to get to and your dreams will come true well I'm going to be there at your next fight thanks on the 30th September and you know if you don't see me you'll hear me I'm pretty sure I will yeah you definitely will I think everybody will but at least you know that I'll be there to support you. So I'm super excited for that. Thanks, Sharon. I actually can't wait. I've got a little countdown on my phone. No, you don't.

Yeah, I actually do. You're joking. I'll show it to you later. You'll find it so funny. No, I'm ready to go. I appreciate this support. So at least you know, if other people aren't supporting you, I am. Thanks, Sharon.

I appreciate it. I can't wait. Well, I can't wait for you guys to see me in action. No pressure. No, pressure makes diamonds. I'd crumble like that. I'd be done. No, you can't.

Yeah, well. You thrive off it, right? That's why you're a boxer and not me. Yeah, I thrive off it. I love it. Live for it. Hi, I'm Richard Karn, and you may have seen me on TV talking about the world's number one expandable garden hose. Well, the brand new Pocket Hose Copperhead with Pocket Pivot is here, and it's a total game changer. Old-fashioned hoses get kinks and creases at the spigot, but the Copperhead's Pocket Pivot swivels 360 degrees for full water flow and freedom to water with ease all around your home.

When you're all done, this rust-proof anti-burst hose shrinks back down to pocket size for effortless handling and tidy storage. Plus, your super light and ultra-durable pocket hose Copperhead is backed with a 10-year warranty. What could be better than that? I'll tell you what, an exciting exclusive offer just for you. For a limited time, you can get a free Pocket Pivot and their 10-pattern sprayer with the purchase of any size Copperhead hose. Just text WATER to 64000. That's WATER to 64000 for your two free gifts with purchase. W-A-T-E-R to 64000.

By texting 64000, you agree to receive recurring automated marketing messages from Pocket Hose. Message and data rates may apply. No purchase required. Terms apply. Available at pockethose.com slash terms.