After speaking to experts in psychology and physiotherapy, it was time to approach Chris Billam-Smith for an interview.
The professional boxer suffered a shoulder injury earlier in his career so I was keen to speak to Chris about his experiences in dealing with the period away from the sport of boxing.
Chris' last fight was in August 2020, where he stopped Nathan Thorley in his first defence of his Commonwealth Cruiserweight title. Chris' next fight was pencilled in for November 21, therefore my final piece will be timely.
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Whilst Chris' career is now on the rise in the sport, he has had to overcome a big hurdle along the way - injuries.
A shoulder problem kept Chris away from boxing a few years ago, and after having the shoulder operated on, the professional boxer was left with his arm in a sling.
I was really interested by what Chris had to say on this period. Of course, it would have been tough not being able to do your job, but Chris was still able to keep active in the sport through teaching boxers at local gyms.
I came away from the interview with some really gripping quotes that I plan to use as pull-out quotes in the final print spread. It was also intriguing to notice a similarity between some of the things Chris told me and also what Gary Lewin was saying about injuries.
Lewin told me that athletes should go and get their injuries checked out as soon as possible before they become chronic injuries. Chris then said that his shoulder injury was initially recurring, and he didn't have it operated on until a later date. This link could be a nice way to introduce Lewin in my final piece.
Follow @sidelined_mmp on Twitter to keep up to date with the project's progression.