A COVENTRY schoolgirl who was teased because of a birth defect has hit back at the bullies by training to become a bare knuckle boxer.
Aimee Duggan was born at just 28 weeks weighing just 1lb4oz (55g) with almost transparent skin and a heart-defect, causing cruel school kids call her a ‘weirdo’.
But now, after years of abuse, the 10-year-old from Finham has decided to fight back by training to become a bare knuckle boxer under the careful supervision of champion boxer Russell Mason.
Aimee, who lives with mum Faye, 41, and brother William, six, said: “The boxing makes me completely relax and when I hit the pads I feel much happier.
“Every time I punch the pads Russell tells me how good I am and I feel so much more confident.
“He’s quite a scary looking man, and after being in the ring against him I don’t feel scared of anyone.
“The bullies always used to call me a weirdo at school because of my size and my skin.
“They formed circles and said I wasn’t allowed in them because I was too small.
“They used to tease me after school when I was walking home and I’d get really upset.
“But after my first boxing session I went up to them and said ‘I’m not scared of you anymore.'”
Aimee was born with a heart defect and nearly transparent skin. CREDIT SWNS
Boxer Russell worked alongside hypnotherapist David Kilmurry to use ‘positive reinforcement’ on the pads to restore Aimee’s confidence in ‘hypno-cise’ sessions.
Mr Kilmurry used hypnotherapy to reinforce the confidence the youngster was gaining from boxing.
She now trains at Toe 2 Toe gym in Canley three times a week.
Russell said: “I noticed a massive improvement from day one, she turned from this shy little girl into a completely different child – very confident and she has a great future in the sport if she carries on.
“She’s a lovely little girl and it’s nice to hear that she’s beaten the bullies because children can be so cruel.”
Doctors had told mum Faye that Aimee was the smallest baby they had ever seen and warned her she would die soon after birth.
After two years of bullying, Faye said Aimee is a ‘completely different girl’ after taking up boxing – unafraid of anything.
Aimee has now become so good at boxing that she hopes to compete when she is older.
“I’m going to keep on boxing because I think it will make me even stronger,” she said.
“Mum has just bought me new gloves and it’s all I want to do. I love it.
“Hopefully when I’m older I can box in competitions.”
