“My Grandma Sadly Passed Away”: Ben Whittaker Gets Emotional Talking About the Sacrifice He Had to Make to Become a Boxing Star

Ben Whittaker isn’t your typical boxer. Sure, he’s undefeated in the ring, a force to be reckoned with. But his journey to his recent light-heavyweight victory against Leon Willings is paved with its fair share of turbulences. Just before the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, Whittaker faced a heart-wrenching decision. His dedication to his boxing dream meant missing his grandmother’s funeral.

This wasn’t just a missed event; it was a sacrifice that spoke volumes about his commitment. Now, on the eve of his seventh professional fight, Whittaker reflects on those difficult choices. He doesn’t shy away from them; instead, he embraces them as the price of pursuing his passion. These sacrifices, he believes, are “paying off.”

Ben Whittaker reflects on his Olympic loss

In a recent interview, the Olympic silver medalist opened up about a heart-wrenching decision he had to make in the lead-up to the 2020 Tokyo Games. “You actually missed your grandma’s funeral to train for the Olympics, didn’t you?” the interviewer inquired. Whittaker, visibly moved, confirmed this difficult truth. “Yeah, we went to a training camp in Turkey and my grandma sadly passed away,” he shared.

“I was very close to her, so I actually made the decision not to go.” However, his father offered words of support and guidance. “My dad said it would be the right thing and your grandma would want you to go, so I had to go there. I’m getting a bit emotional,” Whittaker admitted while breaking down over his grandmother’s passing. The interviewer, recognizing the weight of his emotions, offered a pause, but Whittaker continued, determined to share his story.

“And that’s the thing that not many people saw when I was on the podium,” Whittaker continued. “They didn’t see the medals because of things like that, you know. I missed my grandma’s funeral, things like that. Sorry, I haven’t thought about it since you said it so when you said it, it brought the emotion back,” he confessed.

Well, this sacrifice has been paying him tons in his career. However, it did manage to keep him from getting the gold in the Olympics and he nearly had his eyes filled with tears when he spoke about it back in 2020.

“Felt like a failure“

British boxer Ben Whittaker left the Tokyo Olympics with a bittersweet taste in his mouth. Despite securing a hard-fought silver medal in the light-heavyweight division, Whittaker’s initial reaction reeked of disappointment. A tearful Whittaker surprised viewers by refusing to wear his medal on the podium, leaving a cloud over his Cuban opponent Arlen Lopez’s victory ceremony.

Speaking later to reporters, the Wolverhampton native revealed the emotional turmoil behind his actions. “I felt like a failure,” Whittaker confessed. His competitive spirit, honed since childhood, left him struggling to accept anything less than gold. “I was doing it for everyone at home,” he explained, the weight of expectation heavy on his shoulders.

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However, a sense of perspective soon emerged. Whittaker acknowledged the significance of his achievement. “This beautiful silver medal,” he admitted, deserved a place around his neck. It wasn’t just about him; it was a symbol of national pride.

Now, Ben Whittaker is an up-and-coming boxer with a glorious career ahead of him. He seems to have come back stronger after that loss.

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