After proudly showing off his gold medal, Dundee boxer Sam Hickey gets straight to the point.
“The Commonwealth Games are done now,” he says.
Nearly three weeks have passed since the life of the Lochee lad change forever.
And he’s in good spirits when we meet in the Skyaxe Combat and Fitness Centre in Brook Street.
‘I want to dwell on bigger things’
The 22-year-old – one of the stars of Birmingham 2022 – is passionate about almost everything he talks about, from family and fighting to his coaches and where he’s from.
Sam enjoyed himself after glory at the games – and quite right.
Four fights (including two stoppages) in seven days would push anyone to their physical and mental limit.
He will take another couple of weeks to relax before focusing on his next goal, an Olympic medal in Paris in two years’ time.
Sam says: “I’m not going to dwell on a Commonwealth gold medal – I want to dwell on bigger things when I retire.
“It’s an amazing achievement and it has put me on a good platform.
“People know who I am now, it’s amazing, but Olympic medals are where it’s at.
“That’s where I want to go next.
“I want to sacrifice the next two years and put in the hard work to get to these Olympic games, get a medal there then over to the pros.”
Sam is currently part of GB Boxing’s Podium Squad, a full-time job which sees him train in Sheffield (with top coaches including Rob McCracken) and come home most weekends.
He has had the opportunity to turn pro and promoters have asked to be kept updated on his boxing status.
But he says: “I’m only 22 and pro boxing is a business. I’m not ready to get involved in that yet.”
Sam Hickey’s school years
A few years ago the Olympics would have seemed like a wild dream for the former St John’s pupil who left high school in fifth year.
Sam says he wasn’t the smartest at school but he has fond memories of St John’s.
His time in class was disrupted by boxing trips across the globe to compete in European Championships and Youth Commonwealth Games.
After leaving education, he worked for dad Darren’s fabrication firm but that didn’t work out.
“I had a big boxing commitment and I had to really choose between school or boxing,” he says.
“I stuck all my eggs in one basket a bit and left school in fifth year.
“I worked with my dad but wasn’t good at that either.
“I was with him for a year and a bit but he ended up sacking me, basically.
“He told me, ‘This isn’t for you, son’.
“That was really to bide the time until I could get into full-time boxing.
“I started working at Skyaxe after that and I still plan on helping out young boxers coming through and helping them out on their journey.”
Leaving a Lochee legacy
Sam wants to make his mark in boxing outside of the ring too, whether it’s helping kids follow in his footsteps or simply building confidence in local youngsters.
He recently made an emotional return to Lochee Amateur Boxing Club to show off his medal to his first coach Jerry Howett and the children at the gym.
And he believes the coaches don’t get the credit they deserve.
Sam says: “It was amazing to go back. That’s where it all started for me.
“I don’t get there as much because I’m so busy.
“But to get up and see everybody was brilliant as they had a big part to play in it.
“They put in so many hours and they don’t get the credit they deserve.
“Kids can learn so much, not just about boxing but about being better human beings.
“At all of the other gyms in Dundee too – Skyaxe and St Francis – these coaches give up a lot of their time and deserve the praise, not just when someone gets a gold medal.”
Family take front row seats
With all of Dundee willing him on from afar, Sam was glad to have those closest to him in Birmingham.
That may not come as a surprise to most but having his mum and gran in attendance was rare, with neither seeing him fight since he was a kid.
He says: “My mum hadn’t seen me [in the ring] since I was 11 years-old. She watched me in the Friary in Lochee and I got beat.
“She hadn’t been to a fight since, she has always been worried about me.
“I don’t know why because when you go in the ring, that’s where you are happy.
“My sister Ava is an actor and she’s happy when she’s performing, and my mum goes to see her.
“It’s just like that.
“I didn’t get hurt [in Birmingham] – thank God for that or she might not have come back for another 12 years!
“I was so happy they all came down, my grandma too. Having them there to share that moment was special.”
Dundee boxing star Sam Hickey says memory of ‘big brother’ Mike Towell continues to inspire him
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