It is 12 years since Katie Taylor won an Olympic gold medal at the London Games. 2012 was the first time that women were allowed to compete in the boxing ring, with Taylor winning gold in the lightweight division. The Bray native was scheduled to fight Amanda Serrano in a re-run of their 2022 Madison Square Garden classic in Texas last month, but the fight was postponed due to a medical issue affecting Mike Tyson, who was set to take on Jake Paul in the main event. The card has been rescheduled for November 15.
Katie, who turned 38 last month, is notoriously private, with not much known about her life outside of boxing. However, she has revealed some details about her adopted home in rural America where she has been living for seven years.
Katie Taylor's Connecticut Home
Katie moved to Vernon, Connecticut in September 2016. The small town is around 150km outside Boston and has a population of just over 30,000 - which is less than that of her hometown of Bray. She bought her first home there in 2019. It sits atop a hill and is surrounded by woods.
A Quiet Life in the Woods
Katie previously said she loved “the quietness” of the location, telling ESPN: "I just love the quietness, really. Especially when you're in the thick of training and I don't need any loud neighbours or anything like that. For training camp, that type of house is definitely perfect."
There is one aspect of the location that she’s not all that fond of - the hills. She previously told Boxing Scene how she has to come down one to leave her house, and up one to go anywhere else.
She said: “I can't get away from the hills unfortunately. It's probably the least enjoyable part of training for me, the running sessions. I actually can't sleep the night before, that's how much I hate it. But it has to be done unfortunately."
Luckily Katie does not need to face the hills every time she wants to train, as she has installed a state-of-the-art gym downstairs where she trains. She regularly shares videos of herself training in a gym on her Instagram account, which boasts over 560,000 followers.
A Speedboat on the Connecticut River
Her house is located near the Connecticut River, which inspired Katie to buy a speedboat. She previously shared a video of her driving a boat on her Instagram page.
“That’s pretty much how I got a passion for speedboats. It was a bit of an impulse buy but it’s been just a great buzz. It’s a great way to spend a bit of time off, being on the water. There’s just something about the water… It’s so peaceful out there, I could spend all day on the water, really. Just by the sea, by the lake — I just love times like that.”
She joked: “I usually go out with a few friends. I still can’t dock the boat yet, so… I need someone else there with me to actually dock it! I’m still learning that.
“So, I’ll usually go out with a couple of friends but it’s just a great time to spend a few hours out on the water. It’s just fantastic.”
More Than Just a Boxer: A Look at Katie Taylor's Life Outside the Ring
Katie Taylor's story is more than just about her achievements in the boxing ring. It's also about her life outside the spotlight, her love for her quiet home in Connecticut, and her newfound passion for speedboating. Her story reminds us that even the greatest athletes are human, with passions and hobbies that extend beyond their profession.
