Boxing: Kirsty Koutoulas appointed first female coach at One2Boxing

Speaking to the 35-year-old outside the One2Boxing Westside gym, where she has been appointed the first female coach, it quickly becomes clear that Koutoulas' story is anything but ordinary.

The Tamworth resident first took up boxing at nine years old after being taken to a gym in Cairns by her father.

"Putting on the gloves and training, it was really hard but it really ignited something in me," Koutoulas said.

That, however, was relatively mundane compared to the majority of her childhood.

"I lived with Dad [in Cairns] until I was 18. I caught snakes, trapped feral pigs, had a very adventurous upbringing," she said.

Born in Colchester, England, Koutoulas lived with her mother in Newcastle, NSW, until she was eight, at which point she relocated north with her father.

She boxed briefly as a child, before taking the sport up again in her mid-twenties. Her early adult life was spent traversing the country as a singer-songwriter - "I did that for six years and played about 1,000 gigs" - before marrying her husband, Josh, who was "the man of my dreams and up for any adventure".

Having spent roughly 10 years living in Avoca Beach on the Central Coast, Koutoulas, her husband, and their three children uprooted their lives for another odyssey and moved to Tamworth seven months ago.

She found One2Boxing while looking for a way to relieve the stresses associated with relocating her entire life, and quickly fell in love with the atmosphere of the gym.

"I stepped in the door and went 'Ahh, it's a real boxing gym'," Koutoulas said.

"It's not just a fluffy gym, it's a real gym, which is where I'm the most at home."

Eventually, after recognising head coach Jamie Carroll's passion for promoting women's boxing, Koutoulas decided that she wanted to fight.

Despite her vast experience in the sport, a combination of bad luck and injuries had prevented her from ever stepping into the ring before. Unfortunately, that was also the case this time, as a nerve issue in her hand nixed her hopes of competing.

But then Carroll floated the idea of coaching.

"When Jamie asked, it triggered [an interest], so I went away and thought about it," Koutoulas said.

"Then he messaged me again and said 'I was serious' ... then I started to get pretty excited."

Koutoulas will coach the women's classes slated to begin from January 30.

As a lifelong equestrienne, she has previously worked as a coach for other riders, and believes she can put that to good use in tandem with her boxing acumen.

"I love encouraging people," Koutoulas said.

"I love getting behind people and watching them grow, finding their strengths and ... pushing them a bit further than they thought they could go."

Having a female coach on board, especially one who is herself a talented boxer with many years in the sport, Carroll hopes will help encourage more women to take it up.

"Women's boxing in Australia is in a really strong place, but it still has that stigma among people you talk to who say 'Girls shouldn't fight'," he said.

"It's about breaking down those barriers and showing people that boxing is one of the safest sports ... and Kirsty is going to be the forefront of [women's boxing] in the region."

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