Mum speaks of pride of Leeds boxer Nicola Adams

And Nicola Adams is hoping to make history on Saturday by being the first British boxer in nearly 100 years to retain her Olympic flyweight boxing title in Brazil.

Her proud mum, Dee Adams, from Ebor Gardens, said: “I can’t wait for her to get that gold medal and bring it home to Leeds.

“She is so proud of being from Yorkshire and coming from Leeds.

“All Nicola wanted was to be a world champion and now she will hopefully be an Olympic champion twice.

“There’s no words that can describe how I feel now, being a proud mum - it’s just such an incredible feeling.”

Nicola is fighting in the final of the event from 6pm on Saturday and is guaranteed at least a silver medal.

And Leeds City Council said that the city will host a homecoming celebration to honour athletes from the region who competed in this year’s Olympic and Paralympic Games. A date has not yet been finalised for the homecoming event in Leeds.

Coun Judith Blake, leader of the council, said: “The people of Leeds are extremely proud of all our athletes flying the flag so magnificently for both the city and Yorkshire.

“Leeds has so much to celebrate, with such a cross-section of medallists-gymnastics, triathlon, cycling, diving, rowing and still Nicola Adams in the boxing to come.”

Ms Adams said Nicola would relish a homecoming celebration in Leeds.

She said: “I think that a homecoming in Leeds would be great. Nicola would really enjoy that because she is Leeds born and bred, she is from the heart of Leeds.”

The 33-year-old first took up boxing at 12-years-old, when her mum took her and brother Kurtis to the gym with her.

Ms Adams said: “We had just moved to the area, I was doing aerobics and couldn’t get a baby sitter, so I took her and her brother with me to the gym and that’s how it all started for her.

“Nicola has worked for everything she has got, we weren’t given this on a silver spoon. When she got the gold in London we were really over the moon.

“She is an inspiration because she has just come from an ordinary background and that is how she has got hearts in Leeds”

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