I want to inspire young women like the original Gladiators inspired me

I want to inspire young women like the original Gladiators inspired me

As a child Sheli McCoy was inspired watching the lycra-clad athletes of Gladiators.

Now, as Sabre she has become one of the most recognisable faces on the TV show since its return.

McCoy, who co-owns a gym in Dundee, said: “For me, it’s very important to represent strong women.

“I want the younger generation to be inspired and grow up knowing that anything is possible.”

Even before she picked up a pugil stick the 35-year-old had established a formidable athletic career, winning championships in both weightlifting and Crossfit.

That background led Gladiators producers to contact her and ask if she was interested in trying out for the reboot of the popular 90s show.

It was an opportunity she relished, as watching the original programme had a massive impact on her as a young girl.

Speaking to BBC Scotland News, McCoy said: “My mum was a sergeant in the army, so I knew [growing up] that women had the ability to be leaders, and I knew they had the ability to be strong focal points in large groups.

“But it was really important for me [in the 90s] to see the sporting side of women’s capabilities on TV, and that they were being celebrated for being athletic.

“Also, the women then like Jet, Lightning, Scorpio and Nightshade were athletic and muscular but they were also feminine.

“It was important to see that balance too.”

Originally born in Windsor, McCoy moved to Scotland to study at Robert Gordon University in Aberdeen, before later relocating to Dundee.

She had been keen on sports at school, playing hockey, touch rugby and swimming.

However this interest cooled in her early 20s, a period that coincided with an abusive relationship.

She previously told the Restless Natives podcast that the relationship had left her with two black eyes and a restraining order being placed on her ex-boyfriend.

She told the podcast: “It fell to bits and my front door had been kicked in and the police had arrived and there was a person-shaped hole in my bedroom wall.

“The destructive nature of that eight-year relationship took its toll on me.”

Ms McCoy told BBC Scotland News that resuming physical activity gave her a huge mental boost.

She explained: “For me, sport was something I could do that made me feel I was in control of my own body, and my own mind again.

“It gave me a lot of confidence. Every day I had little aims, like learning to do push-ups, learning to do pull-ups, even finishing work outs I didn’t think I could do, or just eating better.”

Now she seems full of energy and confidence – even though an injury suffered to her hamstring during the semi-finals left Ms McCoy facing months of rehabilitation.

She said: “It’s probably the worst muscular injury I’ve ever had.

“But it was OK as I knew what I needed to do [to recover]. It involved a lot of patience, a lot of repeatable movement patterns. I had physio, some sports massage sessions and I’m almost back.”

With Gladiators already confirmed to be returning for a second series, she “would love” to be back for another go at tackling contestants.

So would her mother Kaz, who raised her daughter as a single parent after husband Sean was killed in a car crash when McCoy was three-years-old.

“She’s really proud. She enjoys watching the show anyway but I think it’s wonderful for her to see who I’ve become.”

Her mother isn’t the only one paying attention.

Since the programme returned in January she has had to adjust to attention from the public, even if colleagues at her gym have “had a bit of a giggle” regarding her newfound fame.

She said: “I’ll be going out for breakfast with my friends or my niece and people will come over and ask for a photo.

“On Sunday I ended up FaceTiming someone’s kid to meet them and I never want to become complacent about that because it’s amazing to see the impact we’re having on others.

“I’m really grateful for that.”

Although her athletic credentials were never in question, a new challenge for Ms McCoy was creating the character of Sabre.

She looked close to home for inspiration.

“It definitely took some time [to get used to a character].”

“But our characters are who we are, just dialled way up.

“So everything you see with Sabre is me – it’s just the crazy I had to hide before, that I don’t have to when I’m out there.”

Sabre and Scottish contestant Kerry Wilson

Her opponents on the show included Fife contestant Kerry Wilson.

She laughed: “I had a lot of fun going up against Kerry in a couple of the games.

“Scotland might not be the frontrunners in sport too often but it was really nice to be able to fly the flag a bit with Kerry.”

Although McCoy added that she does not indulge in trash talking her foes, she does have a few tricks up her sleeve.

She laughed: “I’ll give them the claws from across the room, or on the Wall I’ll growl in their ear when I’m behind them [waiting for the game to start].

“We all have a different approach to how we have fun with the contenders. I like to call it friendly intimidation.

“I was born to do something like this.”