Brisbane boxing coach Shara Romer set to make history at the Rio Olympic Games

A BRISBANE resident is set to make history at the Rio Olympics by becoming the first female boxing coach at the Games.

Shara Romer from The Boxing Shop in Nathan. Picture: JOSH WONING

SHARA Romer will become Australia’s first ever female Olympic boxing coach in Rio but will hope to make more history at the Games.

The Salisbury resident will aim to coach lightweight Shelley Watts to Australia’s first ever female Olympic boxing medal.

Romer, a coach at The Boxing Shop at Nathan, has been working closely with Watts for the past two years and travelled to Europe with the Sydney product last year as assistant coach of the Australian women’s team.

Gareth Williams, who runs The Boxing Shop and is Romer’s partner, said the achievement of making it to the Olympics was well deserved for her.

“I spoke to her about it a while ago, as a coach you have to build relationships with a lot of people and do more work than anyone else and that’s how you make your way up,” he said.

“She’s done that. She’s paid for trips overseas to get different accreditation out of her own pocket and flown around Australia and overseas to get more experience as well.

“Now for her to become Australia’s first female Olympic boxing coach is an incredible achievement and one she definitely deserves. Her and Shelley are helping put female boxing on the map.”

Romer will not be in Watts’ corner in Rio but will handle all of the medal hopeful’s training and preparation.

“She’s not very nervous now, it’s just all about preparing for what she’s got to do over there,” Williams said.

“I’m sure she might get a little nervous while she is in Rio but she’s a very good planner and that’s her job, to make sure Shelley has all the preparation she needs and that she is not worried about anything.

“Shara needs to be prepared for anything, especially at these Olympic Games because anything can happen, you might not even have anywhere to train but you have to deal with it.

“If they do that, I think Shelley has a great chance.”