Natasha Jonas is a British

United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...

 boxer

Boxing

Boxing, also called pugilism, is a combat sport in which two people fight each other using their fists. Boxing is supervised by a referee over a series of between one to three minute intervals called rounds...

, "part of Great Britain's elite female boxing

Women's boxing

Women's boxing first appeared in the Olympic Games at a demonstration bout in 1902. For most of the 20th century, however, it was banned in most nations. Its revival was pioneered by the Swedish Amateur Boxing Association, which sanctioned events for women in 1988. The British Amateur Boxing...

 squad".

Initially intending to be a footballer, she spent eighteen months in the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 on a football scholarship, before returning to the United Kingdom and studying media studies at Edge Hill University

Edge Hill University

Edge Hill University is situated in Ormskirk, Lancashire, England. It has three faculties: Education, Health and Social Care, and Arts and Sciences.- History :...

, Lancashire

Lancashire

Lancashire is a non-metropolitan county of historic origin in the North West of England. It takes its name from the city of Lancaster, and is sometimes known as the County of Lancaster. Although Lancaster is still considered to be the county town, Lancashire County Council is based in Preston...

. She took up boxing in 2005, and by 2010 had won the English Amateur Boxing Association championships five times, as well as the European Championships in the lightweight

Lightweight

Light-weight is a class of athletes in a particular sport, based on their weight.-Professional boxing:The lightweight division is over 130 pounds and up to 135 pounds weight class in the sport of boxing....

 division in 2009, defeating Bulgaria's Margarita Chaneva in the final.

She "was ranked in the world's top 10 at her previous weight category of 64kg", before moving to lightweight. In 2010, the BBC

BBC

The British Broadcasting Corporation is a British public service broadcaster. Its headquarters is at Broadcasting House in the City of Westminster, London. It is the largest broadcaster in the world, with about 23,000 staff...

 noted she was "being tipped to lead Britain's medal challenge" at the 2012 Summer Olympics

2012 Summer Olympics

The 2012 Summer Olympic Games, officially known as the "London 2012 Olympic Games", are scheduled to take place in London, England, United Kingdom from 27 July to 12 August 2012...

 in London

London

London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...

, where women's boxing will feature

Boxing at the 2012 Summer Olympics

Boxing at the 2012 Summer Olympics is scheduled to be held from 28 July to 12 August at ExCeL Exhibition Centre in London. -Competition Format:Male boxers will compete in the following ten categories:...

 for the first time.

She currently works for the Toxteth council "and does part-time youth work".

External link

• Natasha Jonas (Official Website) natashajonas.com
• "Natasha Jonas’s weight of expectation", The Times, August 16, 2009