Rosie Eccles watched Lauren Price become an Olympic champion from the other side of the world and is now eager to follow in her compatriot’s golden footsteps.

The Welsh pair sparred together for years but only Price made it to Tokyo, with Eccles missing out after losing a first-round bout during a London qualifier which lasted just three days before being cancelled due to the Coronavirus outbreak.

Covid went on to seriously impact Eccles’ next Olympic cycle, with the virus attacking her nervous system and leaving her unable to dress herself.

The Chepstow fighter recovered to pursue her Paris dreams and having qualified with bronze at last year’s European Games, she was officially selected as part of Team GB’s six-strong boxing squad on Friday.

Comparisons with Price’s journey are inevitable but Eccles is determined to write her own story.

“She has passed that torch and hopefully it is my time now,” she said. “I just want to focus on me.

“Lauren’s time was Tokyo and good on her, she went and grabbed it with both hands.

“But this is my Olympics and it’s up to me to go and do the same.

“It means so much more having missed out last time. I know people say this a lot but I think certain things are just meant to be.

“At the time, it felt so unfair – and I’m not normally someone who says things like that.

“But it reinforced how much it meant to me, I’ve put my body through another three years of hell in pursuit of this goal. It will all be worth it if I bring home gold.”

The natural order would suggest Eccles will follow Price into the professional ranks after her maiden Olympics but she is not allowing her laser focus on the summer to slip.

“I’ve always been made more for the pro game,” she said. “I’m a powerful puncher and have a high work rate.

“But I don’t want to look beyond the summer, an Olympic Games has been my dream since I was eight.

“Everyone asks me ‘what next’ but I haven’t even gone to the Olympics yet, so I’m not making any decisions. I’ve put so much work in to get to this point, I’m just going to go out and enjoy it.”

In Paris, Eccles is set to benefit from Aldi’s Nearest & Dearest programme.

The initiative helps maximise support and minimise potential distractions for athletes so that they can focus on their performance and make the most of the unique opportunity to compete on one of the world’s largest stages.

Now living in Cardiff, Eccles will have no shortage of family and friends roaring her on ringside come the summer.

“I’ve put my body through another three years of hell in pursuit of this goal,” she said.

“My family are coming, my friends can be part of it, which wouldn’t have happened in Tokyo. I would have been on my own and they would have been there from a distance.

“It’s about everyone, I’ve had a lot of support to get here from a lot of loved ones. I want to be a role model to my nephews and nieces, who are coming over, and I definitely feel like I’m representing Wales as well as Team GB.

“We don’t get many Olympians and it’s super special. The support I’ve had from Welsh Boxing is above and beyond and I’m representing them, my family and GB. It’s a very proud moment.”

Aldi are proud Official Partners of Team GB & ParalympicsGB, supporting all athletes through to Paris 2024