A YOUNG boxer from Poole has given a one-on-one boxing lesson to Prince William.

Nineteen-year-old Gabrielle Reid was given the opportunity to teach the Prince to box at a Coach Core event earlier this month.

Gabrielle described the experience as ‘surreal’. She said: “I never thought that I’d be in that scenario.

“I’m not going to forget this experience, it was crazy.”

Gabrielle, who has a form of cerebral palsy known as right hemiplegia, started boxing when she was nine, and quickly fell in love with the sport.

She recently joined a program with Coach Core, who provide coaching apprenticeships, in partnership with England boxing, to kickstart her boxing career.

The Royal Foundation of the Duke and Duchess of Cambridge had launched Coach Core in in 2012, and the event on October 13 was to mark ten years of its work.

Gabrielle said: “We were told the royals would be at the event because they helped in founding the company.

“They needed a boy and girl to introduce themselves to them and explain what they do. I volunteered, and then I said to Prince William, ‘do you want to do some boxing?’ “He said ‘yeah’ and got his gloves on.”

Gabrielle said that she didn’t have to do much teaching, after Prince William revealed he had boxed before.

She added: “He was a good boxer, he didn’t even need much coaching, he knew what he was doing I was surprised.

“I didn’t realise he was going to be that good.

“I just went over the fundamentals of boxing I showed him the jab, backhand and I showed him how to throw a one-two, and his stance and guard. He enjoyed it.”

Gabrielle was joined by other special guest participants at the event including six-time Olympic medallist Max Whitlock, Commonwealth gold winning netballer Eboni Usoro-Brown, Premier League winner Glen Johnson and Nathan Dawe, DJ and producer.

She also helped to lead a range of sports activities at the event.