Nicola Adams gets off canvas to box another first at the Baku European Games

Olympic gold medallist has suffered injury and theft but is now ready for inaugural European Games

(Getty Images)

Nicola Adams has a penchant for firsts: the first woman to lace up her gloves to represent England all the way back in 2001 and, most famously, the first woman in history to box her way to Olympic gold in London three years ago.

Another first in the sights of the Leeds flyweight is to win the first boxing gold at the inaugural European Games in Baku, which get under way tomorrow.

The path to Azerbaijan has been a tumultuous one, curtailed by shoulder surgery and a burglary that forced the Team GB flagbearer out of the England Boxing Elite Championships. The setbacks have been to an extent that she has fought at just one event since last summer’s Commonwealth Games – last month’s Boxam in Spain.

“It’s a big event for me,” she said of Baku despite the fact it plays no role in Olympic qualification, unlike in some other disciplines. “I’m up against the best in Europe and I’m feeling strong. There was some ring rust in Spain but I’m ready now.”

Shoulder surgery in the autumn, which forced her out of last year’s World Championships, meant complete rest for her left arm. “I could still train in the gym and use my right arm,” she added. “I just couldn’t use my left. When I first started throwing punches with it, I got tired after barely a couple of minutes but it’s now back to where it was.”

The point of return was supposed to be her national championships in Liverpool but, on the verge of the event and with her car all packed up with her bag and kit, the lot was stolen while staying at a family member’s house and, in turn, Adams withdrew from the championships.

“My head just wasn’t in the right place,” she recalls. “I was ready for the tournament and good to go.”

Her car has since been recovered but her brother’s, which was also stolen, has not, and understandably the incident has left an unsavoury footnote to the season.

“It was a bit of a nightmare,” she says. “It’s not a nice feeling to have someone doing that while you’re sleeping and going through all your things. I struggled to get my head around it but my friends and family were really supportive and got me back in the ring for Boxam.”

Baku is central to her immediate plans but the longer term goal is the World Championships in Doha in October, which brings with it Olympic qualification if she reaches the tournament’s semi-finals.

The 32-year-old, who first fought aged 13, describes the qualification route as tough but her form, despite the setbacks, suggests she can achieve the required qualification standard and defend her Olympic title.

Rio looks a likely end point for her two decades in the ring, although she prefers not to be drawn on the future: “I’m always moving forward because your competitors are always keeping you on your toes. As for retirement and post-Rio, I haven’t really thought about it.”

Her position in boxing annals is far removed from the early days where she would rely on the financial support of her mother and stepdad in order to travel to tournaments, and would earn money for her boxing passion by helping her stepfather renovate houses.

But more than anything, she is happy with the groundbreaking role in which she has moved the sport forward.

She said: “Women’s boxing has become huge now. I’m really pleased with how boxing’s progressing and to have been able to be a part of it. There’s so many more women in boxing now.”

Acting appears to be the current favourite profession when Adams finally hangs up those gloves.

She already has previous experience on the small screen. There was a role in the BBC series Waterloo Road, which admittedly was not too much of an acting stretch in that she played herself, as well as roles as an extra in both Coronation Street and Emmerdale.

“I’d like to do some acting,” she said. “You get people going from sport to acting, like Vinnie Jones.

“As for what role I’d do, I don’t mind. I’d like to do an action or a TV series. To be honest, I wouldn’t mind being a baddie or one of the good guys.”

For now, though, the curtain is yet to come down on her current career.