“It’s all about Lewis”: Coach Mullan on Lewis Richardson’s journey to the Olympic Games

On the evening of Tuesday 6th August 2024, Colchester’s own Team GB boxer Lewis Richardson will step into the iconic Stade Roland-Garros and aim to secure his place in Friday’s gold medal bout.

Reaching the final, and possibly even winning gold, would culminate a journey that began when a fresh-faced, 13-year-old Lewis stepped into Centurions Boxing Club in Colchester. There was no competitive intent, to begin with. Richardson had joined the gym as a hobby, one to keep fit. However, as he began chipping away in the background and picking up the wins, he started to capture the attention of his coaches.

Simon Mullan, fresh out of the Army and coaching at Centurions, was one of those to pick up on Lewis’ successes: “After a while, you begin to think hang on a minute, there’s something here. The thing is Lewis is really, really clever. When he got to 15 he wanted to study for his GCSE’s which meant different training at different times and that doesn’t always suit clubs. Lewis said he wanted me to train him and we ended up going independent for six or seven years.

“We’d meet two to three times a day in sports centres, car parks, tennis courts, conference rooms. We’d be training and then we’d go sparring. That’s where we built a really, really good bond.”

After winning the National Schools Championships, the NABGCs and having tough battles with Zak Chelli and Ben Whittaker, Richardson soon advanced onto the England squad before joining GB Boxing. It was the transition to international competition that arguably brought the boxer and coach closer together.

“When he went away with his country I had to stand back, but it made our bond stronger in a way because I became more of a mentor, a confidant. People struggle to let go but I could see he needed to be let go to grow. I think a lot of people admire the bond that we have.

“Sometimes he’d come back from (GB Boxing) camp and we’d do a bit of training but I could see he was getting burnt out. Weekends became rest days and we’d go for a swim, go for a walk, go to the sauna and just chat. We’d just do general things to take him away from boxing. People think I have three sons and I have to say Lewis isn’t my son, I coach him! He has been to Wales and he’s met my family, it’s a great relationship.”

Stress fractures, surgeries and the removal of his natural weight category from the Olympic Boxing Programme all stood in Lewis’ way of the Olympic dream, but Mullan’s confidence in Richardson never waned.

“I told Lewis I always believed he would go to the Olympics. I said trust the process, keep plugging away and good things come to good people, and you are a good person. I’m proud, I’m really proud of him that’s what I am. He’s such a brilliant person.”

Mullan is unable to be in Paris due to officiating duties at the EUBC Schools European Championships in Bosnia, a decision he made after weighing up the options with Lewis, but that won’t prevent him from watching Richardson’s semi-final by any means necessary.

“I had a chat with Lewis about going to Bosnia. This competition is a great opportunity for me to progress as an R&J and we’re always encouraging one another to push themselves and succeed.

“We’ll be watching it on someone’s phone, though. We watched his last bout in Heathrow airport, all of the England coaches, the team manager and myself and we were all screaming and jumping. We’re all happy and proud because we’ve all played a big part in it. It’s been a big journey and there’s been a lot of contributions.

“We used to have a joke in the boxing club we’d say, ‘It’s all about Lewis!’ You have to be selfish, boxing is a selfish sport. If we hadn’t left that first club would Lewis be where he is now… I don’t know. He was needy, he needed it. He needed the confidence, he needed the build, he needed to feel like he was special and it worked.

“He’s made it. He’s already made it in my eyes, just by qualifying he’s made it. Everybody had said it was too much and he’s just proved everyone wrong. I think he’s brilliant.

“You can see that his boxing is coming out. I’ve been waiting and waiting and waiting for it. I’ve been saying to him you’re 80%, you’re not 100% yet and he’s saying when am I going to be 100%! Like I said to him after the quarterfinal, now you’re enjoying it I’ll give you that extra 10%, you’re maybe 90%. So it’s just the little things, you know?”

“Lewis has everything to gain and nothing to lose now. So I’m happy because he’s just enjoying it. Lewis has always been a pleasure and a pleasure to coach. He deserves it. He deserves this.”

Click here to learn how to watch Lewis’ male, under 71kg Paris 2024 Olympic Games semi-final against Mexico’s Marco Verde Alvarez.

Image Credit: Main Photo – GB Boxing, Inset Photos – Simon Mullan.