England boxing call-up for Dionne

An aspiring young boxer from Newcastle has been selected to represent England in upcoming matches against Wales as she takes one step closer to pursuing her dreams of becoming an Elite International Boxer.

Dionne Mannion, 18, from Newcastle is studying Personal Training for Health, Fitness and Performance at the college and is also part of the DiSE Boxing Programme. She was selected to represent her country at U54kg after successfully progressing through the England Talent Performance Pathway.

Last year was a really successful year for Dionne, who also boxes for Marden Amateur Boxing Club. She was crowned U54kg Youth Cadet National Champion and was also named the best female youth cadet boxer of the tournament.

Dionne is really excited about being selected to represent her country: “I’ve always wanted to box at the highest level and can’t quite believe I’ve got my call-up. It’ll be amazing to train and box with the England Squad and hopefully I’ll learn lots from the experience to help me develop further as a boxer.”

Gavin Rickleton, DiSE Boxing Coach at the college said: “I’m so thrilled for Dionne, she really deserves her call-up. She’s a talented and highly motivated boxer and to be selected to represent her country is testament to this. Huge congratulations to Dionne.”

Gateshead College is the only college in the North East, and one of only six in the country, to offer England Boxing’s DiSE educational programme aimed at elite boxers. The Level 3 Diploma in Sporting Excellence (DiSE) supports talented and committed young boxers aged 16 to 19 who train and compete while also studying a full-time qualification in sport or any other subject, including A Levels or a vocational course.

DiSE is part of England Boxing’s long-term athlete development pathway and to apply for the programme, you need to:

• Be aged between 16 and 19
• Show, or have the potential to become, elite level
• Be registered with an England Boxing-affiliated club only

To find out more about our DiSE programme, click here.