Harry Garside story: Defying norms, one punch at a time

Australia’s Harry Garside, a ballet-dancing, fingernail-painting plumber who clinched an Olympic medal in boxing at Tokyo 2020, is redefining the sport in more ways than one.

Garside won a bronze in the men’s lightweight category at Tokyo 2020, becoming the first Australian boxer to win an Olympic medal since Grahame Cheney’s silver at Seoul 1988.

After defeating Kazakhstan's Zakir Safiullin in the quarter-finals, Garside revealed his painted nails in a rainbow pattern, saying, “I just want to break stereotypes, to be honest. I’m a big one for that.”

“There’s a lot of people out there who feel like they have to be something because they’re a male or a female,” he reasoned. “I’m all about just being different.”

Garside incorporated ballet into his training in 2019 which helped him get better in the ring and clinch a medal at the Tokyo Olympics.

Before winning the Olympic medal, Garside had already bagged gold at the Commonwealth Games 2018. He did so while maintaining his regular day job as a plumber.

Adding to his list of accomplishments, Garside will be part of the 12-member Australian boxing team for the Paris 2024 Olympics. It will be the biggest boxing contingent from the country at any edition of the Summer Games.

Where is Harry Garside from

Born on July 22, 1997, in Lilydale, Melbourne, Harry Garside is the youngest of three brothers. He took up boxing at age nine and showed an early inclination toward self-expression - a trait that became a hallmark of his persona.

Garside began his boxing journey at Lilydale Youth Club. He lost 10 of his first 18 fights but it helped Garside develop the underdog mentality that fuelled his drive to train harder.

“At the time it sucked, but it formed this unbreakable desire to be No.1 and not stop until I get to where I want to go,” he said in an interview with the Australian Olympic Committee.

Battling addiction as a teen, Garside found solace and strength in boxing. His resilience paid off when he won his first title at the Australian National Championships in 2015. He has won seven national titles in his career.

Harry Garside’s rise to stardom

Garside's breakthrough came with a gold medal at the 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, competing in the lightweight division. This victory played a big part in securing his place at the Tokyo 2020 Olympic qualifiers, where he defeated accomplished boxers to earn a spot in the Olympic team.

The Tokyo 2020 Olympics saw Garside as one of the standout boxers. He began with convincing wins in the first two rounds, followed by a thrilling quarter-final victory against Kazakhstan’s Zakir Safiullin. Despite losing to eventual champion Andy Cruz of Cuba in the semi-finals, Garside secured a bronze medal.

"I had nothing but gold in my mind in Tokyo," Garside reflected. "I am proud of my performance, but this is just the beginning. My goal is to achieve even greater success in the future."

Pro-boxing career

After his Olympic success, Garside transitioned to professional boxing, debuting with a TKO win over Sachin Mudaliar in December 2021. Despite winning his next two bouts, he returned to Olympic boxing in 2022, driven by his desire for Olympic gold.

“I wanted to go for the gold (at the Olympics), so I walked away from professional boxing even though I knew I’d be turning down money and opportunities to set myself up for life,” Garside told the Australian Olympic Committee.

“The reason – and I’ve thought a lot about it since 2021 – is that I went on the Olympic journey to win an Olympic gold medal and not a bronze medal. I turned my back on myself because I turned professional thinking the bronze medal was OK,” Garside explained, addressing his switch to pro boxing and back.

Garside secured his spot for Paris 2024 through the Olympic qualifiers in December last year. “I’m so happy. I reconnected to that young boy inspired by Olympians like Grant Hackett and Matthew Mitcham,” he said.

Garside will compete in the men’s 63.5kg category at the Paris 2024 Olympics. Boxing events will be held from July 27 to August 10.

Harry Garside’s medals and achievements Tokyo 2020 Olympics - Bronze (2021) Commonwealth Games - Gold (2018) Seven-time national champion