Couch in 5 facts

Expelled from school, Jane Couch struggled with drugs and alcohol.

At 26, she saw a TV documentary about women's boxing and decided to have a go. 

She was denied a licence to box because she was a woman. The British Board of Boxing Control argued that PMS made women too 'unstable'. 

In 1998, Couch took the Board to tribunal, using equalities legislation to win her case. 

Couch's fight led to the first sanctioned professional women's boxing match in the UK. 

Every female British boxer who comes after her stands on the shoulders of her bravery and determination. 

Illustration credit: Polly Rowbottom