First professional female boxer Lorna Redfern from the Highlands to enter ring

Sporting history will be made this weekend when a female boxer becomes the first Highland woman to compete as a professional fighter.

Lorna Redfern, a former Army fitness instructor, is returning to the ring having beaten the best at amateur level.

Her current day job is all about fighting – for justice. She took up legal secretarial work in Inverness after an Army career straight from school.

Serving with the Royal Artillery in Afghanistan, she managed to find time for her favourite sport and was ultimately crowned Army Boxing Association champion.

She never lost the hunger and is heading back to the ring as the Highlands’ first professional female fighter. Why? Simply girl power.

Lorna said: “When I grew up, as an amateur in the gym, I couldn’t get fights. There was no-one really registered in Scotland or England then, probably.

“I think now it’s a lot bigger for females and I would like to see more females in the Highlands come up and maybe turn professional and give it a good shot.”

Lorna Redfern is entering the ring for the first time at professional level

Lorna is the daughter of legendary ex-fighter Laurie Redfern who now coaches male and female boxers at his Inverness City Boxing Club.

Proud of Lorna’s passion for the sport, he said: “She’s always been fit. She was a physical training instructor in the forces but it’s about getting back into that rhythm.

“We’ve spent a few months getting her back [to peak fitness] and I think we’ll know after a couple of bouts if everything’s still in tact.”

Lorna has her professional debut at the Drumossie Hotel, Inverness, on Saturday.

She said: “Without blowing my own trumpet, I think I have got a bit of talent.

“We’ll just see where it takes us and at least along the way we can say that we’ve done it and the first professional female in the Highlands. That’s good enough for me.”