I’m a two-time Olympic boxing medallist.. now I’m trying my hand at new sport but it’s the hardest thing I’ve ever done

FORMER Olympic boxer Paddy Barnes has turned to a new sport after retiring from boxing in 2019.

The 36-year-old declared he has “fallen in love” with CrossFit after training at the KVLR gym in Belfast since hanging up his gloves.

Paddy Barnes represented Ireland at the Beijing, London and Rio Olympic GamesSportsfile - Subscription

He will compete in his first CrossFit competition in Northern Ireland this month.

Barnes is a two-time Olympic bronze medallist who also won gold representing Northern Ireland in the 2010 and 2014 Commonwealth games.

The former flyweight fought nine times as a professional after moving into the paid ranks in 2016, challenging for a world title at Windsor Park in 2018.

He said he has fallen in love with CrossFit despite admitting it’s the “hardest thing I’ve done”.

Barnes told Belfast Live: “I absolutely love it, and I don’t know why. I go in and it is the hardest training I have done in my life, but I am addicted to it.

“And there could be worse things you could be addicted to, know what I mean?

“This morning I did 100 double unders (skipping), 16 devil presses which went down in twos. It took me 11 minutes and nearly killed me, but I had been on the drink all weekend.

“I remember my first session I ever did in CrossFit. I had to take a week off work after it to recover.

“I did a thing called the ‘Murph’ which is a mile run, 100 pull-ups, 200 press-ups, 300 squats and a mile run again. And I couldn’t function for a week.

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“I would fly through it now though.”

CrossFit is a branded fitness regimen that was developed by Greg Glassman and Lauren Jenai in 2000.

The exercise style combines a weight-lifting training style with developing cardiovascular fitness through high intensity exercise.

Barnes says CrossFit has allowed him to refocus after a few wayward years.

“I retired from boxing in 2019, and ever since then I have been eating and drinking,” he joked.

“But to be fair I have done a lot of running as I enjoy it, things like 5ks and all that.

“I run around the Waterworks which kept me ticking over for a while. But the CrossFit was a shock to the system.

“I love it though, I really do. I want to apply myself a bit more.

“I have competition at the end of the month in Mallusk, in a team of three. There are loads of competitions in the south of Ireland which I might enter to see how I get on, but give myself time to prepare properly for it.

“The Mallusk competition is intermediate standard. I am fit but I am not strong enough for the proper elite stage.

“I would be kidding myself if I said yes to one of those competitions.”

When asked if he misses boxing at all, Barnes said: “Definitely not. I don’t mind not getting punched in the face.”