High-flying heavyweight Lewis Williams is angling for a little more than Olympic gold.
The Paris 2024 hopeful is a keen fisherman and on his days off can often be found swapping the ring for rods and reels.
On the surface, there may seem to be little in common between Williams’ two sporting loves but he suggests otherwise.
“You are constantly concentrating and there is the patience side to fishing too,” he said.
“You’re thinking, ‘how I can fix this and how can I fix that and it gets really technical.’
“You can learn things from other people too and try and put that into your own game and see how it all comes together.
“I’m not a fan of the cold so now it’s nice and hot I’ll get back out there. If I can get a free day and the weather is good, then I’ll do it but it’s all been quite busy this year.
“Hopefully we’ll secure qualification for the Olympics and then I can give myself a little rest and do a few days fishing before pushing onto Paris.”
Williams has good reason to have an Olympic debut in his sights.
He stormed to gold at the Commonwealth Games last summer after an emphatic unanimous points victory in the final just a couple of months after winning a morale-boosting bronze at the European Championships.
Fishing is not part of the Olympic programme but the Leamington Spa-born star thinks it would prove surprisingly popular were it to feature.
“It’s not as boring as you think, it’s not a case of sitting and waiting all day,” he said.
“You see activity here and there and you’re constantly chasing. There’s a lot of thinking behind it and strategies so it’s not just a waiting game.
“It’s needed for me to have that wind down time. I like to get away and chill out and get away from people really.
“I have a few friends I fish with, but you get a lot of time out there and there’s no hassle – and nobody punching you, so it’s good!”
The 24-year-old has no issue going against the status quo, admitting that most young people his age ‘do a bit of drinking and partying on their days off.’
At 6ft6 he stands out in more ways than one, but his size was not immediately an asset when stepping into the ring.
“I wasn’t much good at other sports and I was always the biggest guy as a kid,” he said.
“Boxing was a lot tougher and harder than I thought but I kept going and got stuck at it. I don’t pick things up quickly, I’ve got to put the reps in to be good.
“I like the repetition and drilling at it and making sure you get good at it.
“That’s one thing that I've seen is my dedication – I kept going back and years later it haspaid off.”
In the not-too-distant past there was talk of Williams moving up to the super-heavyweight division.
And while Williams will not be making that step any time soon, he is confident he has all the tools to establish himself as the undisputed king of the ring at 92kg.
“I’ve won a load of medals so why change it," he said. "I just stick to what I’m doing and keep sharpening up.
“I’ve got my place at 92kg, and I’m making the weight quite comfortably even though I’m 6ft6, so I’m very big for the weight class.
“To me, it’s an experience thing.
“I like the idea that I’ve got about and I’ve done my rounds for years here. Now it’s about getting the rewards from it, getting to the Olympics and taking my medals there.”
Sportsbeat 2023