How watching Rocky in lockdown has inspired 17-year-old to target Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games

Rocky inspired 17-year-old Alexis Proctor to take up boxing. Now after an incredible start to her career in the ring, the northern beaches young gun is eyeing off the Los Angeles Olympics.

Northern beaches boxer Alexis Proctor moved to Australia from the United States at just three months of age. Picture: Contributed

Meet Alexis Proctor.

Born in the United States and moving to Australia at just three-months old, she’s a boxer who had a dream of going to the Olympics before having her first fight.

It sounds lofty, but not so much when you consider what she’s been able to achieve in just four years of the sport.

Despite being just 17 and only taking up boxing during Covid lockdowns, Proctor has amassed an impressive resume to her name.

This year alone she has won a ‘King of the Ring’ tournament and was named the PCYC’s Youth and Junior Female Boxer of the Year.

It comes after being chosen to train at the AIS as part of the Boxing Australia futures youth/junior development squad.

Alexis Proctor is a rising boxer from Sydney's northern beaches. Picture: Contributed

It’s crazy to think that one movie proved the catalyst for a drastic change in sport.

“I was a competitive gymnast for 10 years. I watched a Rocky movie during lockdown and randomly decided to try boxing,” Proctor said.

“To quit gymnastics was a big thing. I grew up with all of those girls and nobody strayed.

“I loved (boxing) training straight away and had my first fight within six months. I went from training with girls my age to a group of men in their 20s. It was a very different experience.

“I went from hating gymnastics training to wanting to go to the gym and do extras.”

The accolades that Proctor has under her belt at an early age haven’t gone to her head, with the teenager determined to keep her trajectory intact, starting with a key event in Perth.

“I had success pretty early on, which a lot have done and struggled with,” she said.

Alexis Proctor has a goal of competing at the 2028 Olympic Games in Los Angeles. Picture: Contributed

“It’s definitely made me more motivated to never stray from the gym or training. To start off big and with achievements, you want to keep your place there.

“It was crazy to go from gymnastics and not winning anything to actually performing and winning.

“I have two main goals. The nationals are in seven weeks and they are a qualifier for the youth worlds later in the year.

“I want to use that to prepare for next year. I’ll go into the elite category and that will open up a bunch of different fights, travel opportunities and teams to make.”

Before she stepped in the ring for her first fight, getting to the Olympics has always been the dream of Proctor.

It couldn’t be scripted any better with the Games set for Los Angeles in 2028, and that’s a sentiment not lost on the young star.

“It would be a full circle moment,” she said.
“All my coaches, everyone I’ve known from the start knows I just wanted to go to the Olympics.

“It’s always something that I’ve outwardly spoken about, even when I hadn’t done anything yet.”

Alexis Proctor is a rising boxer from Sydney's northern beaches. Picture: Contributed

While mother Misty admits watching her daughter go toe-to-toe with an opponent doesn’t get any easier, she takes solace in the dedication she has shown to her craft.

“I didn’t really love it at first,” she said.

“I went and talked to her coach and Alexis loved it so much. Watching the fights is always terrifying, but she’s good at what she does.

“It takes a lot of hard work and we’re super proud.”

Proctor made the move to switch her schooling online to help ease the workload of her training program, that sees her travel from the northern beaches to the shire almost daily.
“Two years ago I moved to Southside Boxing,” she said.

“My coach is great and he’s helped to build a big team around me that helps with every aspect.

“I’m finishing Year 12 from Australian Christian College and the online school program. It’s been a huge change and made it much easier to balance.

“I’m in the elite pursuits program and there’s a teacher I communicate with to make the whole process easier to work.”

Originally published as How watching Rocky in lockdown has inspired 17-year-old to target Los Angeles 2028 Olympic Games