Nicola Adams Height, Weight, Age, Body Statistics

Nicola Adams is one of Britain’s most celebrated female professional boxers. She has a tremendous boxing history which includes her becoming the first woman to win an Olympic boxing title in 2012. Nicola also supports the LGBT community and is the first openly LGBT person to win an Olympic.

Born Name

Nicola Adams

Nick Name

Nicky, Babyface, The Lioness, The Smiling Assassin

Sun Sign

Scorpio

Born Place

Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Residence

• Oakland, San Francisco Bay, California, United States
• Leeds, West Yorkshire, England

Nationality

Education

Nicola studied at Agnes Stewart Church of England High School in Ebor Gardens, Leeds. She later enrolled for senior secondary education at Hopwood Hall Sports College based at Rochdale in Greater Manchester for a Business and Technology Education Council‘s (BTEC) National Diploma in Sport (2007-2008).

She also started training simultaneously at Hopwood Hall Boxing Academy and after finishing her A-levels dedicated herself completely to the sport of boxing.

Nicola is also a former student at Bradford College. In 2008, she began to train at Bradford Police and College Academy Boxing Club with coach Alwyn Belcher till she won her first Olympic medal in 2012.

In 2015, the University of Leeds granted Nicola with an honorary Doctor of Laws degree for her services to the sport of boxing.

Occupation

Boxer, Fitness Model, Fashion Designer, Actor

Family

• Father – Innocent Adams (Plasterer)
• Mother – Denver Adams aka Dee (Restaurant Manager, Hairdresser)
• Siblings – Curtis / Kurtis Adams (Younger Brother)
• Others – Verna Adams (Stepmother), Gareth (Stepbrother)

Manager

Nicola is managed by –

• Ed Griffiths & Alex Segal, Intertalent Group, London
• Steve Goodwin, Boxing Manager

Build

Athletic

Height

5 ft 5 in or 165 cm

Weight

54 kg or 119 lbs

Girlfriend / Boyfriend / Spouse

Nicola has dated –

1. Marlen Esparza (2015-2018) – Her only publicly known relationship was with a fellow boxer, Marlen Esparza. The two women knew each other since 2009 when they used to train at the same academy. They even shared the podium at London Olympics 2012, where Marlen Esparza won the bronze medal alongside Nicola’s gold. But it was not until 2015, when they attended a training camp in Colorado, USA, that the couple developed a connection. During one of their night outs, Nicola had an allergic reaction to the sauce on her nachos which contained nuts and it was Marlen who stood by her side when she was rushed to the emergency room. Eventually, Nicola proposed marriage at the luxurious and romantic Shangri-la restaurant in London during Christmas 2016. Nicola shared that having a fellow sportswoman as her fiancée made her life much easier since she understood the rigorous training schedule they have to go through and did not place unnecessary demands at the end of an exhausting day. But they apparently broke up in March 2018 as Marlen’s growing insecurity about her career compared to Nicola’s ever-increasing success and Marlen’s daily drinking along with anger issues created reasons which made the couple drift apart. Merely a few days after breaking up from Nicola, Marlen shared the news of her engagement to a male personal trainer, named Frank, on her Instagram account.

Race / Ethnicity

Black

She is of African-American descent.

Hair Color

Black

Eye Color

Dark Brown

Sexual Orientation

Bisexual

Distinctive Features

• Keeps her hair very short
• Usually has a good-natured smile on her face
• Exceptionally fit body
• Flawless smooth skin

Brand Endorsements

• Brand Ambassador of Hyundai Motor Company (2013)
• Nicola was a part of Marks & Spencer (2013) print shoot for the company’s sales campaign that also featured Dame Helen Mirren, artist Tracey Emin, and singer Ellie Goulding.
• Featured in a commercial for Aviva UK (2016), an insurance company
• Was declared the face of E45 skincare (2017)
• Collaborated with American sporting goods, equipment, apparel, and footwear company, Everlast (2018) to release a ten-piece line of luxury athleisure that reflected her personal style
• Partnered with toy company Mattel (2018) for the release of a Nicola Adams Boxer Barbie doll along with the release of a Barbie representing 16 other female celebrities / female historical figures
• Her Twitter bio claims that she is also a Mercedes-Benz (2018) brand ambassador

Religion

Christianity

Best Known For

• Being the first woman in the world to win an Olympic Gold in Summer Olympics 2012 when the IOC introduced a separate women’s event in the sport of boxing
• Being a 2012 and 2016 Olympic Gold medalist in Women’s Flyweight division
• Achieving gold medals in Commonwealth Games (2014), European Games (2015), and Women’s World Championship (2016)

First Boxing Match

Nicola has attained a long series of ‘firsts’ in her glorious boxing career:

• She fought her first bout at the age of 13.
• She represented England for the first time in 2001 and was the first woman boxer to do so.
• English Amateur Champion (2003) was her first title victory.
• Winning a silver medal in Women’s Bantamweight division in European Amateur Championships (2007) was her first achievement in an International tournament.
• Nicola made her professional boxing debut in April 2017 at Manchester Arena, England and won the fight against her Argentinian opponent, Virginia Noemi Carcamo.

First Film

The boxer has never been cast in a feature film yet.

But after turning to professional boxing, Nicola also started taking acting lessons alongside as she nurses the aspiration of getting a main role in a film or a prime-time TV show.

First TV Show

Before the International Olympic Committee introduced funding for women’s boxing in 2009, Nicola worked as an extra in uncredited roles in British soap operas, namely, Coronation Street, Emmerdale, and EastEnders to support herself.

After winning Olympic Gold in 2012, she was invited as a celebrity guest for her first interview on The One Show in August 2012.

Personal Trainer

• Upon turning pro, Nicola set up her residence in the city of San Francisco to train in the supervision of Virgil Hunter (trainer to several world-class boxing champions such as Andre Ward and Amir Khan) and Nonito Donaire Sr.
• Before turning pro, Nicola’s training regime was extremely intense that incorporated 5-6 hours of exercise since she had to prepare for a fight every few weeks or few months as compared to longer rest periods between her professional fights.
• She began her day with early morning cardio that usually comprised of a 3-mile run. Nicola would also perform high-intensity intervals and sprints for further conditioning if a boxing match was coming up.
• She was weighed every day in the morning at 7:15 am and wasn’t allowed to gain more than 5% weight of her weight division. Hence, as a flyweight competitor, she wasn’t allowed to go beyond 53.5 kg.
• Mid-morning was reserved for hypertrophy and strength training in the weight room.
• After lunch, the entire afternoon was meant for boxing and sparring practice which concluded with painful ice baths to reduce the soreness and inflammation in the body and promote faster recovery.
• High carbohydrate and high protein meals dominated Nicola’s everyday diet. Spaghetti Bolognese and a healthy version of Chicken Fajitas were her staple meals.
• Breakfast was fiber-rich and usually the heaviest meal of her day, followed by rice /spaghetti /fajitas with vegetables for lunch. The boxer used to end her day with a rare combination of Tomato /Chicken /Vegetable soup and ice-cream.
• During the 8 years of her Olympic training, all of Nicola’s meals were pre-prepared with fresh ingredients, free of additives and preservatives in consultation with her coach and nutritionist.
• An entire week’s meals were delivered at her doorstep labeled for each day of the week. The boxer merely had to freeze them for storage and heat before consuming them during the designated time of the day.
• After winning an Olympic Gold for the first time, Nicola went straight to McDonald’s for chicken nuggets and a strawberry milkshake even though she wasn’t hungry simply to break the monotony of following a strict diet for years.
• In 2017, Nicola’s focus shifted to gain more explosiveness in all her moves. She particularly started practicing landing powerful knock-out punches.
• As a pro-boxer, her training day lasts from 7 am to 7 pm with slightly easier mornings and more intense afternoons and evenings which go like –
  • Cycling / Running in the morning
  • Weight Training in the afternoon
  • Sparring and skipping in the evening
• Nicola does not count calories. The meals prepared by her nutritionist are as follows:
  • Breakfast – Toast and egg whites
  • Lunch – Chicken Breast with rice and vegetables
  • Snack – any fruit or a piece of tuna
  • Dinner – Steak or minced beef with pasta and vegetables
  • Dessert – Plain yogurt with fruit

Nicola Adams Favorite Things

• Summer Cocktail – Piña colada cocktail, Mojito or any rum-based drink
• Fun Activity Spot – Theme Parks
• Holiday Destination – Miami, Florida
• City – San Francisco, California
• Hotels – Shangri-la at the Shard AND Park Lane Hilton in London
• Cuisine – Mexican
• Restaurants In San Francisco – La Taqueria, Colibri and Gracias Madre (For Mexican Food), Brazilian Steakhouse called Fogo de Chão
• City For Nightlife / Partying – London
• TV Shows – All American prime time TV shows such as Game of Thrones, The Walking Dead, and Breaking Bad
• Airlines – Virgin Atlantic, British Airways
• Guilty Pleasure – Ice-cream, Frosted Flakes / Frosties, Pizza
• Pizza Topping – Pepperoni with extra chicken
• Dish She Likes To Cook – Steak, Chicken Fajitas
• Holiday / Vacation Sports – Water skiing, Snowboarding
• Exotic Meal – The duck at Min Jiang, a Chinese restaurant on the top floor of the Royal Garden Hotel in Kensington, London
• Place Nor Nightcap – Tinseltown in Farringdon
• Place For The First Date – Trocadero or Namco to play arcade games
• Shops – Selfridges, Harrods, Nando’s (for chicken),24-hour supermarkets for snacks, Jimmy Choo for shoes, Louis Vuitton for bags
• Role Models In Boxing – Muhammad Ali, Sugar Ray Leonard
• Night Club – Heaven on Villiers Street, London
• Daytime Hangout Spots In London – Borough and Maltby Street markets
• Fashion Era – 1990s when dungarees, denim jackets, and crop tops were popular
• Style Icon – Rihanna, Will.I.Am
• Clothing Brands – Paul Smith, Helmut Lang
• Fashion Designer – Alexander McQueen, Philip Lim
• High Street Store – Topshop
• Vintage Item – Vintage trainers such as a pair of Nike Air Jordan
• Thing About Her Home County, Leeds – Friendly people
• Place With The Best View In Leeds – Roundhay Park
• Yorkshire Sport And Team – Rugby League, Leeds Rhinos
• Yorkshire Sportsman – Danny McGuire of Leeds Rhinos (Nicola’s former schoolmate)
• Actor From Yorkshire – Patrick Stewart
• Yorkshire Celebrity Nicola Admires The Most – Comedian Leigh Francis
• Restaurant In Leeds – A Portuguese restaurant called Fazendas
• Yorkshire Activity Spot – Rock climbing at Ilkley
• Home Town Mall – Trinity Leeds shopping and leisure center

Source – Telegraph, Muscle Food, The Guardian, Daily Star, Standard, Yorkshire Post, Express

Nicola Adams Facts

1. Before the age of 10, she was a very weak and sickly child. She had countless allergies to a variety of food products ranging from fish to chocolate, suffered from asthma, had flat feet and was made to wear mittens to prevent her from scratching her eczema ridden skin.
2. Aggressive fighting between her parents, until they got divorced when Nicola was 11, gave her constant anxiety.
3. Nicola was also diagnosed with ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder). Till date, her ideal date or vacation involves a lot of physical activity. The boxer simply dislikes sitting still.
4. She became a boxer because her mother could not find a babysitter for her every time she went for her aerobics class. Nicola’s mother would drop her along with her brother at an after-school boxing gym to keep both of them preoccupied.
5. Nicola won her first fight at the age of 13 and imitated some of the moves of boxer Prince Naseem and Muhammad Ali in the ring.
6. The boxer stated that the discipline instilled in her as a sportsperson has given her the confidence to succeed in anything she sets her mind on in all areas of her life.
7. Despite her ADHD, Nicola gives all her effort to retain her positivity and mental focus to complement her physical preparation for every fight. She said that there are times she already knows she will win a match even before getting started when she sees doubt in another opponent’s eyes.
8. She likes collecting footwear.
9. Even in her 30s, Nicola gets asked to show her ID at nightclubs owing to her timeless, athletic appearance.
10. In 2012, Independent publication featured Nicola Adams as the most influential LGBT celebrity in their Sunday’s Pink List.
11. In her 20s, Nicola broke a vertebra in her back after falling off the stairs and had to take a year off from boxing. Right about the same time, the IOC announced the introduction of Women’s Boxing. Determined to qualify, Nicola used two morphine patches on her back to power through the final Olympic trials and get selected in the national team.
12. She was awarded the Order of the British Empire civil award in the capacity of a Member (MBE) and Officer (OBE) in 2013 and 2017 respectively.
13. Her autobiography Believe was published in May 2017.
14. She has a tattoo of a lion with a crown on her back along with the words I am everything I want to be.
15. The boxer claims that all her motivation comes from her never diminishing zeal to win. She says she never thinks about losing until it happens. When a defeat takes her by surprise, she isolates herself completely by locking herself in a room for a day to introspect about what she did wrong.
16. To find out more about the inspirational sportswoman, visit her official page @ nicola-adams.com.

Featured Image by Nicola Adams / Instagram