Callum Simpson: ‘Lily would want me to carry on … I know I made her proud through my boxing’
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Before the defence of his British and Commonwealth belts, the 28-year-old reflects on the tragic death of his sister. “I’ve heard her voice in training sometimes,” Callum Simpson says quietly as looks up in his apartment in Dewsbury and remembers his sister Lily-Rae who, just over four months ago, died tragically following an accident on a quad bike at the age of 19. “I hear her when the sessions are hard, especially during running sessions, and her voice will say: ‘Just keep going, keep pushing.’”.
![[Donald McRae]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/uploads/2018/01/15/Donald_McRae,_L.png?width=75&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
West Yorkshire looks beautiful on a bitterly cold yet sunlit morning. A new year has just begun, and there is still snow on the ground, but the same raw pain churns though Simpson. The 28-year-old boxer is a composed and impressive man who will defend his British and Commonwealth super-middleweight titles against Steed Woodall in Sheffield on Saturday night. It is likely to be a difficult test against a determined domestic rival who has lost only two of 22 bouts – particularly as Simpson and his family are still besieged by grief.
![[Callum Simpson celebrates victory over Zak Chelli to win the British and Commonwealth Super-Middleweight title]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/6d8143a4716ec43ddd12d330ac1f73823bdc4441/0_0_5408_4000/master/5408.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
But Simpson, who has won all 15 of his previous fights, believes he is ready to return to the ring and honour the memory of his sister. “I know myself really well,” he says. “My coach Mark Hurley said: ‘If there’s any point I feel you’re not mentally right, you’re not fighting.’ I said: ‘That’s absolutely fine. I agree.’ But I’m confident in myself because I know my character. I’m very strong mentally.
![[Callum Simpson and his father, Donny, at the gym in Batley.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/c9250d175c24b5a01c3690e74f3c58d34d439f84/0_0_8192_5464/master/8192.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
“My promoters, Boxxer, told us it would be fine if I had an eight- or 10-round fight but I said: ‘No, we’ve just won the British and Commonwealth titles. What happened to Lily is bad enough but she would want me to carry on.’ I know I made her proud through my boxing, and I want to continue doing that. The best way is by defending my titles against a good opponent.”.
![[Callum Simpson with sister Lily-Rae Simpson.]](https://i.guim.co.uk/img/media/e1fec0fd9c2966beb1dfb21de714caa2675d4364/0_0_1536_1920/master/1536.jpg?width=445&dpr=1&s=none&crop=none)
