BFBS presenter, Gini Carlin, is swapping her headphones for boxing gloves and taking on a new challenge – training with 7 Regiment RLC’s Boxing Team for a month, to raise money for the BFBS Big Salute charity. The BFBS Big Salute is a fundraising campaign to raise money for five Forces Charities: BLESMA, St Dunstan’s, Combat Stress, Veteran’s Aid, and FAB.
As part of the challenge Gini has to undergo intensive training with the 7 Regt Boxing Team, enduring gruelling circuit workouts, as well as skills, pads and sparring sessions. Gini said: “Believe it or not I quite enjoy it. After doing a bit of training with one of our BFBS engineers last year in Afghanistan, I realised I do have quite an aggressive nature, and nothing really focuses the mind like being chased around the ring by a cruiserweight!”
7 Regiment’s Boxing Officer, Gary Hemmingway, is impressed with Gini’s enthusiasm, he said: “If I could bottle up Gini’s determination I would sell it by the crate load as most blokes haven’t got the steel she has – to get a pounding in the ring is no laughing matter.”
Gini is training with the team as they prepare for the BAG Semi-finals later this month. “Thankfully I’m not competing, but I’ll be there yelling my lungs out for each of my boys in that ring all night.” You can sponsor Gini for her boxing challenge in aid of the Big Salute at www.justgiving.com/virginia-carlin.
Gini has been presenting the Forces Big Drive home in Germany, but is preparing to go out to Afghanistan for her second sixth month tour, where she’ll be presenting the Total Ops Connection, from April, live from BFBS’s studios in Camp Bastion, from 10:00 – 13:00 (GMT). Gini said: “I’m really excited to get back to Afghanistan and present my show at the coal face of what we do.”
Read more about Gini’s boxing adventures at http://www.bfbs.com/radio/article/ginis-big-salute-boxing-bonanza.
If you have family, friends or loved ones currently based overseas with the Forces, then remember you can send a message of support online at www.bfbs.com/messages-and-requests/
