Becky Lynch

I was getting ready for my junior cert, which is, I'm not sure what the equivalent is over here, but when you're 15, you're doing these exams in school. That at the time, they make it seem like if you fail these, your life is over.

But yeah, all the pressure that they put on you in school.

But yeah, all the pressure that they put on you in school.

Yes, exactly.

Yes, exactly.

And that's how, and that's what... what I felt like. And at the time, even though I was a little degenerate and I wasn't doing good in school and I was drinking and I was smoking, I was doing everything that I shouldn't be doing. Like I still had ambition. I still wanted to do something good in my life. I still wanted to be a lawyer or something productive in society.

And that's how, and that's what... what I felt like. And at the time, even though I was a little degenerate and I wasn't doing good in school and I was drinking and I was smoking, I was doing everything that I shouldn't be doing. Like I still had ambition. I still wanted to do something good in my life. I still wanted to be a lawyer or something productive in society.

And I realized on one random Monday when I wanted a beer that at 15 that I needed to turn my life around. I needed to do something different that I couldn't keep going down this pathway of failing PE and just

And I realized on one random Monday when I wanted a beer that at 15 that I needed to turn my life around. I needed to do something different that I couldn't keep going down this pathway of failing PE and just

not applying myself to anything and so I started looking up like different kickboxing things because gyms weren't the thing in Ireland back then there was like two or something you know there was there was there was this big gym but it was too preppy it was too preppy and I was an alternative kid you know the ones with the black lipstick and the dog collars and all that kind of stuff and uh and so I you know going to a gym just seemed too mainstream for me too too Jane Fonda for me

not applying myself to anything and so I started looking up like different kickboxing things because gyms weren't the thing in Ireland back then there was like two or something you know there was there was there was this big gym but it was too preppy it was too preppy and I was an alternative kid you know the ones with the black lipstick and the dog collars and all that kind of stuff and uh and so I you know going to a gym just seemed too mainstream for me too too Jane Fonda for me

And so then one day I go into the computer room because in 2002 everybody had a computer room and my brother's looking up this website and it was called Hammerlock and it was this wrestling school over in the UK. And I was like, what are you doing there? And he was like, well, I was thinking about training as a wrestler. Instantly I had this jealousy, this feeling of I need to do that.

And so then one day I go into the computer room because in 2002 everybody had a computer room and my brother's looking up this website and it was called Hammerlock and it was this wrestling school over in the UK. And I was like, what are you doing there? And he was like, well, I was thinking about training as a wrestler. Instantly I had this jealousy, this feeling of I need to do that.

And I was like, are you going to go over there? And he was like, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I was like, there's no way. There's no way my mom is going to let me go over to the UK to train. I'm 15. I'm also a degenerate. Like she's aware. She's aware that I'm going off the rails.

And I was like, are you going to go over there? And he was like, yeah, yeah, yeah. And I was like, there's no way. There's no way my mom is going to let me go over to the UK to train. I'm 15. I'm also a degenerate. Like she's aware. She's aware that I'm going off the rails.

And then the promoter there wrote back to him to let him know that there was two Irish lads that were going to be opening a school like an hour away from us on the train. And so that's how I found out about it. And he told me that. And I was like, oh, I want to go too. He was like, no, you're not going. You have to be 16. And I was like, I'll lie.

And then the promoter there wrote back to him to let him know that there was two Irish lads that were going to be opening a school like an hour away from us on the train. And so that's how I found out about it. And he told me that. And I was like, oh, I want to go too. He was like, no, you're not going. You have to be 16. And I was like, I'll lie.

And he was like, no, I don't want to have to look after my little sister. I was like, you won't have to. lying and I went down there and I started and that was it all of a sudden for the first time in my life I wanted to apply myself to something I wanted to get better at something I saw progress in each training session.

And he was like, no, I don't want to have to look after my little sister. I was like, you won't have to. lying and I went down there and I started and that was it all of a sudden for the first time in my life I wanted to apply myself to something I wanted to get better at something I saw progress in each training session.

And that built confidence because not only was I applying myself and getting better at something and seeing results, but I also now had this community. And I think there was also this feeling of like, I'm different, which, you know, I always felt a little different. You know, I wasn't a cool kid, even though I tried to be. But now I had this confidence in my difference, you know?