‘Flawless’ Isabella Fioretti debut season earns teenager seven prizes at Highland Boxing Academy 2023/24 awards night
Highland Boxing Academy held their end-of-season awards last weekend, with one athlete in particular sweeping the competition.
Isabella Fioretti has had an outstanding debut year in competitive boxing, winning several titles and earning a call-up to Scotland at the British Championships, and was rewarded with a record-breaking seven awards at Inverness Ice Centre.
The teenager won the youth/senior People’s Champ, female boxer of the season, best newcomer, knockout King/Queen, critics’ choice and youth/senior fight of the season awards, as well as sharing the international caps award with Maria Cameron.
Cameron also won the female ambassador award after plenty of success in their own right, helping HBA to their best ever single season in 2023/24.
Kian Stewart won three awards, being named the schoolboy boxer of the season and the school/junior people’s champ, as well as winning the hot-streak trophy for his six consecutive victories throughout the year.
Robert Stewart had the most bouts of anybody at the club with 13, which earned him a prize on top of his junior boxer of the season award.
Brodie Zineldin was named the youth boxer of the season, while Emma Miller took home the best senior boxer trophy.
Alex Mihalkins took the male ambassador award, while Alexander Russell earned the most improved boxer title.
Henry Leitch claimed the prize for school/junior fight of the season, while there was also a special award given to David Rothnie for outstanding services to the club.
“Isabella mopped up with seven awards in the end – six that she won on her own, and one that she shared with Maria,” head coach Liam Foy commented.
“It was a really good night, we had a great turnout so it was packed.
“All the awards that we had were fiercely contested, which is testament to the season that we’ve had. It was quite hard to pick some of the champions, but I think Isabella was a stand out. Her season has been flawless.
“Kian and Robert Stewart both got a couple of awards as well, but everyone who picked up awards deserved it.
“I said on the night that even those who didn’t win awards have been absolutely pivotal to the club’s success this season. It has been a monumental effort from everyone across the board, whether they have won titles or awards or not. The season wouldn’t have been possible without everybody.
“I look back at the start of the season, and the first competitive show we went away to was in Alloa. Maria Cameron, Aidan McKinlay and Robert Stewart boxed, and Maria won – which then gave Robert and Aidan belief that they could win, and all three of them won.
“That was a really high benchmark to start the season. We went out of our district with three fighters, and they all won, so I think that was quite special.
“That night at the start of the season was a massive step in the right direction for the club, and it was a really pivotal moment for us. It gave us a solid foundation to work off beyond that.”
