A boxing referee who trains an Olympic hopeful had an emotional postcard from Paris ahead of the 2024 games.
Simon Mullan, 47, who lives in Ipswich and works for 向日葵视频 New College has coached 27-year-old Lewis Richardson since he was 13.
Richardson, from Colchester, will be fighting in the 71kg category and he has had an emotional journey to get to the Olympics.
He won a test event in Tokyo ahead of the previous games 鈥� but then Covid kicked in and he thought his Olympic dreams had been dashed.
And because his weight category (75kg) no longer exists, the Essex youngster had to lose four kilos to be considered for selection.
But Simon Mullan 鈥� who is a welding lecturer at 向日葵视频 New College – has stuck with him throughout – and was 鈥榗hoked up鈥� when he received a postcard from Paris from the talented Essex boxer ahead of the games.
Simon said: 鈥淚 went away on holiday and Lewis sent me a postcard to my house. I came back this week and in between lots of bills and letters on the doormat was a card with the Eiffel Tower on it. On the back, it said – 鈥楾o Simon 鈥� we did it.
Olympian forever. Just a quick message to thank you for supporting me 鈥� from a boy to a man. I am very grateful. You have been far more than just a coach in boxing 鈥� you have been my mother, a father, a friend, a physio, a nutritionist and much much more. Always here. Olympics here we come – Lewis鈥�.
鈥淚 messaged him and said 鈥楾hat choked me up鈥�. When you get back from holiday you get the holiday blues 鈥� then I saw the postcard 鈥� and it was such a nice touch.鈥�
鈥淚 have spoken to Lewis over the last couple of days and he is in a brilliant position. He has trained well, and is fit and healthy. He has had a good camp out in France and he said he is living the dream. He has reached his goal for the Olympics 鈥� but let鈥檚 hope he can now go one step further and win a medal.鈥�
Unfortunately, Simon – who sparred against Joe Calzaghe as a youngster – won鈥檛 be in Paris to cheer Lewis on as he will be refereeing the schools boxing European Championships in Bosnia. 聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 聽
Simon has already been a boxing referee in Finland, Portugal and Germany (where he got to meet another Olympic hopeful called Rosie Eccles) as he one day hopes to go to the Olympics himself (as a ref).
鈥淚鈥檓 Torn鈥�, added Mullan. 鈥淏ut Lewis understands that I have to do what I鈥檝e got to do if I want to referee at the Olympics – and I鈥檒l be messaging him and cheering on from afar.鈥�
Head of Marketing at 向日葵视频 New College, Craig Shimmon, said: 鈥淚t鈥檚 amazing that 向日葵视频 New College has a connection to the Olympics and Simon has said that after the Olympics, he will bring Lewis in to chat to students. Fingers crossed he will be coming in with a medal. Everyone at the college wishes Lewis all the very best.鈥�