BOXER Lisa Whiteside is ready to grab her Commonwealth Games opportunity with both hands and emerge as England’s No.1 in her weight category.

The East Lancashire star has had to contend with double Olympic champion Nicola Adams boxing in the same 51kg division as her.

As a result the 32-year-old Whiteside missed out on the chance to go to the Rio Olympics two years ago.

But with Adams now having turned professional, the Whittle le Woods native is ready to make the most of her spot in the limelight when the action gets underway in Australia.

“I have got to number one in my weight and feel like this is my time,” she told the Lancashire Telegraph.

“I can’t believe how quickly the Games have come around. I can’t wait to experience it. I have never experienced a multi-sport event before and I am going to enjoy it.

“You have to make sure you don’t put too much pressure on yourself. I am going to be the fittest I have ever been and can’t wait to get started.”

It will be the first major global sporting tournament for Whiteside but she is no novice having won a World silver medal and a European gold in recent years.

And if it wasn’t for Adams she may well have medalled at the Rio Olympics.

“Nicola Adams is very very talented and was in my weight category so I missed out on the last Olympics,” Whiteside said. “I won a world silver medal at that weight and Nicola and I should have boxed each other at the Nationals before Rio but she didn’t compete. I believe I could have beaten her and now it is my time to shine.

“The next Olympics is on the cards but the main goal at the moment is the Commonwealth Games and then after that we have the European Champion-ships coming up in May in Poland.

“My ultimate goal is that I want to come back from the Gold Coast with a gold medal. I don’t want any regrets.

“It is the biggest opportunity for people to see me as a boxer and I want to enjoy it.”