Harry Garside is a boxer best known for winning a bronze medal at the 2020 Olympics. Here, the 27-year-old opens up about his close relationship with his mother, falling in love for the first time, and the joy of sharing his life with someone special.
βAlthough I love being a man, itβs tough at times because we donβt have the same emotional support systems as women.β Credit: Supplied
My maternal grandmother, Judy, who we called Juju, was a charismatic woman. She had positive energy in spades. She loved to paint self-portraits and many of her pieces are hanging at home. As a child, she kept a red ribbon, and you see it in each of her works. She raised two daughters and died during COVID in 2020.
My paternal grandmother, Nancy, moved around a lot β from England to Canada, then Australia. We were close until I was about six years old. She looked after us when my parents worked and helped us out when she could, but we didnβt spend a lot of time together beyond those early years. Dadβs side of the family bickered and argued a lot. She died when I was 10.
My parents met when my mum, Kate, was 19. She was actually dating someone else at the time. A few months later she split with her then boyfriend and my dad, Shaun, made his move.
Mum had three sons under five by the age of 27. She did an amazing job, but it was full of challenges and stress. My parents didnβt have much money and worked multiple jobs to make ends meet. As the youngest son, I was definitely closer to her.
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My brother Josh is five years older than me and Jack is three years older. I fall into the youngest child syndrome β Mum made sure they did everything for me. As a result, I was softer by nature.
I felt different to my brothers and Dad when I was growing up. In primary school, I tried to get their approval through sport, but in my teenage years I confided in Mum more, especially when it came to my first heartbreak.
Mum always had tarot cards, crystals and incense in the house. Us kids would take the piss out of her, but she had a thick skin and could laugh about it. Itβs since opened my mind to question things a lot more. Sheβs the opposite of Dad, who is quite conservative.
