Brooklands Girl Goes for Gold with support from GMS

Dudley-born youth boxing sensation, Paige Goodyear, is continuing her quest for gold as she has been selected to represent England at the European Championships in Italy in April.

The 17-year-old sporting prodigy, developed at Brooklands Amateur Boxing Club in Dudley, will be looking to pack a punch as she competes at 69kg to bring home the gold at the EUBC Youth European Boxing Championships.

Despite this being a major step up for Paige, mixing with the best boxers in Europe, this is not the first time that the young Black Country boxer has jetted off for an international competition. In 2015, she returned victorious from the Haslev Boxcup in Denmark, defeating the Danish national champion in the final.

Training is well underway for the championships, with Coach Darren McDermott putting Paige through her paces at Brooklands.

Originally run out of a shed at the bottom of McDermott’s garden, the boxing club receives no central funding or grants but has instead been supported by sponsorship from Bromsgrove-based national security services firm, GMS Group.

The connection with GMS Group has come around through friendship and sporting success, with McDermott and the firm’s CEO, Neil Male, being friends from Primary School. The two are fiercely proud of their Black Country heritage and so with the security firm’s funding and McDermott’s expertise, Brooklands has flourished and provided a platform for rising stars like Paige.

Paige Goodyear said: “I am delighted to again be called up to represent my country and can’t wait to get out to the championships next month. I wouldn’t be where I am without all of the support from my family, Brooklands and GMS Group and I hope to make everyone proud.”

GMS Group’s CEO, Neil Male, said: “Paige is an amazing example of what young people from the area can achieve if they have the right drive and commitment, they just need to be given the opportunity. As a business, we are all about developing talent and giving people the best platform to thrive and so we were more than happy to step in to help out with finances for both Paige and Brooklands as a whole. We look forward to watching her give it all she’s got in Italy.”