Boxer Savannah Marshall on her London lessons for Sky Academy Confidence Month

The year 2012 seems to have had quite an effect on boxer Savannah Marshall.

In May of that year, the Sky Academy Sports Scholar became Britain's first women's world boxing champion in China by shaking off a bloody nose to narrowly win middleweight gold on her 21st birthday. She was ecstatic.

Less than three months later, in front of a packed house, Marshall fell at the first hurdle having gone into the London Olympics as hot favourite. She was devastated.

Since then, there's been a shoulder injury forcing her out of the ring for six months, Commonwealth Games glory, a failed defence of her world crown in 2014, a hand injury and an early defeat at the European Games this summer.

In August, the 24-year-old from Hartlepool said if her mind was right and she trained hard she could beat anybody. That's not changed. But as the Rio Games edge closer, her experiences of glory and, in particular, misery, three years ago at her first Olympics might just help her to more golden reward.

As part of Sky Academy Confidence Month, Marshall relives the horror of London and how it's spurring her on.......

The lowest point in my career has to be the 2012 London Olympics. It was more like stage fright. It was my first fight and I was overwhelmed and just wasn't prepared for the stage I was going to box on.

There was big pressure. I was world champion, the world No 1 and was tipped to win gold. It was in front of 14,000 people, it was my home crowd and it was all abit too much. I lost.

The build-up had been rocky but it was more when I was walking out. It just hit me where I was and all those people. I just thought 'I can't wait to get out of here'.  It was more nerves and less to do with confidence, but considering I had boxed all over the world it was the first time I had experienced anything like that so I didn't know how to handle it.

I've learned from it though. It's all about taking each step as it comes. Now I'd know what was going to come. I'd know there would be thousands watching and I'd know that when I walked out I wouldn't be thinking 'oh gosh, I'm out of here!' I'd be much more prepared.

Confidence is such a big thing as a boxer. If you're not confident then what's the point of even doing it? You'd be a few points down before things even got going.

I was not confident at all growing up. I was really quiet and shy. I've also never been confident in big groups. At school, I couldn't wait for it to finish. I wasn't comfortable at all. That didn't change until I got into college and then I got more confident - but that's just my personality.

I find my confidence develops at a tournament after boxing a few times. So probably not after the first or second bout - probably the third. Then I just get more confident as I go on and keep winning.

I just get nervous for that first bout. After that, I tell myself that I've done OK and then it builds. I do doubt myself a lot but the harder I train then the less I doubt myself. I beat myself up, I've always done that.

The harder I train, the better results I get and then you feel confident and you feel good. Breaking it down, it's things like beating your best time on a training run or feeling good in sparring. That's where I get my confidence from.

In sparring, I try to recognise when things aren't right. If I'm being hit by too many shots or I'm too slow and not reacting quick enough. Or if I'm tiring easily it can be down to not being fit enough or needing a rest or that I'm over-doing it.

Good sparring is when you come out feeling fresh and thinking you've done well. That boosts my confidence.

My coach Tim Coulter is the main person who helps me with my confidence and is my greatest inspiration.

We've got a great relationship. He's just very honest with me and he knows me so well. He should do because he's been training me since I was 12! He knows what I can do and what I struggle with. He knows when I'm fit and sharp and he'll be the first to tell me if I'm not.

If I have a bad sparring session he tells me straight away what I did wrong. Even if I have done an amazing session he always says there is room for improvement.

But that helps me not to get too over confident. There have a few times when I've been thinking a fight would be easy when it hasn't worked out like that at all.  

I'm next fighting on Wednesday in Germany and I'm feeling really good. And with Rio approaching next year, I'm feeling happy, healthy, injury free and confident and just want to go on from there.

Find out more about Sky Academy Confidence Month, by going to www.skyacademy.com/confidence-month/

WHAT'S COMING UP FOR OUR SCHOLARS

OCTOBER 21-31: Olivia Breen - IPC World Championships, Doha

NOVEMBER 2: Elise Christie, World Cup, Toronto 

NOVEMBER 11-13: Siobhan-Marie O'Connor - BUCS Short Course, Sheffield