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Olympic heartbreak to European dreams: The42 presents The Eric Donovan Story

Eric Donovan never achieved his dream of becoming an Olympian. He now has a new dream, and we’ve been following his journey towards redemption.

The42.ie / YouTube

ERIC DONOVAN WANTED to be an Olympian.

The Athy boxer first walked into St Michael’s Boxing Club when he was seven years old. Four years later, he won his first Irish title, aged 11.

At 15, he was a five-time Irish champion, a European medalist and had captained the Irish boxing team. That was when he left school to fulfill his ambition of becoming an Olympian.

He spent a decade in the IABA’s High Performance Unit, trading punches with the household names such as Katie Taylor, Michael Conlan, Kenneth Egan, Joe Ward and other Olympians.

Despite watching his teammates light up the Olympic boxing podiums in Beijing, London and Rio, Donovan’s Olympic dream never came true.

I was the ultimate professional in the gym. I trained very, very hard. I always gave my best inside the club; inside the Irish team. But it was outside of it that I also gave my best. To my social life too.

He came cruelly close to qualifying for the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing, but succumbed to pressure when it mattered most. His lack of consistency is ultimately what kept his Olympic dream out of arm’s reach.

Now, at age 32, Donovan has turned to professional boxing as a redemption. His new dream is to become a European champion.

After winning his first three professional bouts, The42 followed him on his journey towards his fourth, a meeting with the Hungarian Laszlo Horvath, and delved into his past triumphs and shortcomings, to get to the heart of why he didn’t make the Olympic team and what’s changed to make him a European contender.

This is his story. This is Lilywhite Lightning.

To buy tickets for Donovan’s first title fight against Dai Davies on 9 September in the National Stadium, email ericdboxing@gmail.com. 

Originally posted on the42.ie

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    Mute Marcus Massey
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    Mar 13th 2022, 9:10 AM

    I’m currently in Shanghai. Schools are closed and online learning begins tomorrow. Hearing rumours that sitting in in restaurants is being suspended. There’s a minimal upsurge in apartment buildings being closed and residents being quarantined. All issues are protective. All in all, it’s grand.

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    Mar 13th 2022, 8:44 AM

    Well let’s just hope this isn’t a strong variant & if it dies steady that we have learned and will protect the old and the vulnerable. If you feel any symptoms take a test and if you have covid you isolate.
    With so many vaccinated it will bearly even affect people that much hopefully.
    So yea hopefully we’ve learned over the last 2 years, no need for restrictions, lockdowns, masks!!!!
    Think peoples appetite for all that again won’t be great!

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    Mar 13th 2022, 8:22 AM

    Fecking covid and rus-putin+ GREAT DECADE SO FAR!

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    Mar 13th 2022, 1:04 PM

    I’m hoping our own current surge, is just the side effect of the lastest lifting of restrictions, and not the new varient that I’ve been reading abiut the last couple of days. (Funny how the Journal has not reported on it when Cork Beo was reporting on what Luke O’Neill said about it yesterday) Regardless, If people can maybe keep their wits about them, keeping in mind the likes of hand hygeine and watch what direction they are coughing in when the could not be arsed covering they’re mouths, or maybe voluntarily put on the mask, we can nip this surge in the bud. None of us want to go back where we were the last couple years.

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    Mute Ger O'Reilly
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    Mar 13th 2022, 3:54 PM

    The bats have come home to roost.

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