Vincentian in UK army packs awesome punch

She was not too sure whether to accept the challenge, but eventually she did and in 2015, Ellis-King, who is originally from the small Grenadine island of Canouan, had her first fight and won.

“I then took my boxing training to another level,” said Ellis-King, explaining, “I had a few training sessions from one of England’s best boxers, Jamie Cox, and in December 2016, three days after my birthday, I had my second fight and I won.”

Still yearning for more, Ellis-King fought again on January 26, 2017 and on that night, she stopped her opponent in 1 min 39 seconds

and was awarded best boxer of the night.

The money from that fight went to charity,” said Ellis-King, “because I’ve got a genuinely giving heart.”

Now the name of the Vincentian lass from humble beginnings is ringing bells around the UK armed forces boxing arenas and as a result, she is scheduled to fight three times next month, on March 7, March 20 and March 24.

“As a kid growing up I was very passionate about track and field and when it came to boxing, I wasn’t scared, because I have that fight in me. Growing up I was a tomboy, so I’m always into the more masculine stuff,” she said.

The strong spirited former student of the St Joseph’s Convent Kingstown (SJCK) sees boxing as a platform from which she can reach out to troubled youths.

With three wins under her belt, she is hoping to do so well in her next bouts that she would gain some recognition and get to box under the Vincentian flag at the Commonwealth games in Australia in 2018.

Although she is a British citizen, she has kept her Vincentian nationality.

“I want to fly my Vincentian flag. At the moment, I’m just an amateur boxer and I’m away on a boxing training camp to get me ready for my next fight,” said

Ellis-King, during an interview with SEARCHLIGHT on Wednesday.

Ellis-King, the daughter of Bernard King, attended the Canouan Government School, where she started her athletics career under her red house captains Tony Laidlow and Ian Rhynd. After writing the Common Entrance Exam, she was accepted to the SJCK, but instead spent a year at the Bequia Community High School because she didn’t have anywhere to stay on the mainland.

During her one year (2004-2005) at the Bequia based institution, Ellis-King was crowned junior champ and victrix ludorum, while she also won both titles at the inter-secondary school competition.

Later, Ellis-King moved to mainland St Vincent where she lived with now retired headteacher Hyacinth Harry and her husband Lennox Harry (ex police officer and musician).

While at the SJCK, Ellis-King continued with her athletics and was an outstanding student in and outside of the classroom. She dominated in athletics and won the junior and intermediate champ awards in 2006, 2007, 2008 and 2009 and even represented the SJCK at the inter school championships in 2008, where she won the intermediate champ and victrix ludorum awards.

After successfully writing 10 CSEC subjects in 2009, Ellis-King migrated to the UK in 2010 and joined the armed forces in 2012. She was offered a job as an air dispatcher, becoming the first Commonwealth female soldier to ever take on this role.

To qualify for this job, she had to undergo two years of training and had to acquire 20 sorties to earn her wings. She did so in 2014, while on operation in Las Vegas, working alongside United States armed forces personnel in California.

Now, her daily duties see her working at the Royal Air Force (RAF) Brize Norton in Oxfordshire. Ellis-King works around a wide range of aircraft, such as the A400m and C 130, while she is also a physical instructor for her unit. She has also represented her unit in numerous sports, including athletics, netball, swimming and football.

In 2016, she was awarded best female athlete in her regiment and won silver and gold medals in swimming.

In her job, she dispatches different types of load from aircraft at different drop heights, while she works alongside the UK’s most elite forces. She is also currently pursuing a degree in criminology and law.

Ellis-King, who says that she is shy by nature, told SEARCHLIGHT that she hopes that her story can inspire persons, especially young people.

“Never forget where you come from, where you’re going and where you want or need to be in life, but remember to pray because it can move mountains”, said the strong willed 23-year-old, who last visited SVG in 2014.

Ellis-King also encourages young people to not get carried away by social media, which she describes as a world of fabricated lifestyles. She paid tribute to her grandmother Viola Patrice-King, who she said played a significant role in her life.

A former cadet, Ellis-King also thanked Aldith and Alex Waldron of Paul’s Avenue, who she said showed a lot of interest in her and even took her to Grenada to represent SJCK at track and field, where she won a silver medal.