The introduction of women's boxing at the 2012 London Olympics is a dream come true for Katie Taylor.

The 22-year-old's dominance has been such that she has continually topped the world ratings, not just at lightweight but in the pound-for-pound category, making her officially the best female boxer in the world.

She has even scared off a number of rivals who preferred to withdraw from major tournaments around Europe and Asia rather than face her.

Katie started her amateur career at the National Stadium in Dublin as a 15-year-old, coached by her father Peter, a former Irish champion.

In her first bout at the stadium on October 31, 2001 she beat Alanna Murphy of Belfast 23-12 and received high praise for the manner of her performance.

She left the ring to resounding applause and even though future Olympian Andy Lee was on the card, it was Katie who won the ultimate accolade, the ‘Best Boxer of the Night' award.

She made fast progress and was an outstanding amateur with fast hands, sharp reflexes, good footwork and the ability to think fast once the bell rang.

Katie had limited training facilities in those early days before the introduction of the High Performance Unit, then under Gary Keegan.

She had to divide her time training between Bray Boxing Club and her home.

But she stuck it out and her determination has paid off.