Lottery packs a punch for boxer Cyrus

He has been out and about filming this past week to highlight a number of community-based projects which are all reaping the rewards.

Cyrus, 24, was chosen by UK Sport to showcase Alnwick as he is currently a Lottery-backed local sportsman who is aiming to win a place in the Great Britain squad for the 2020 Olympics in Tokyo.

“If it wasn’t for Lottery funding, I wouldn’t be able to train to the extent I do,” he said.

“I wouldn’t be able to hold down a full-time job and train to get me to where I need to be.

“The Lottery is helping hundreds of sportsmen and women throughout the country like this, but they also support a lot of other good causes as well.”

He added: “Here in Alnwick, they have backed the Market Place and a number of other community-backed projects which people don’t always get to hear about.

“That’s why I was asked to do the filming in Alnwick.

“People need to know that when they pay their money over the counter to buy their Lottery ticket, it isn’t just going towards the prize money.

“Places like Alnwick benefit a lot from it as well.”

Cyrus, who is a welterweight, is currently training with the GB Training Camp on a weekly basis in Sheffield at the England Institute of Sport.

“I am hopeful of getting into the 2020 Olympic squad, that would be a dream come true,” he said.

“The Olympics is the pinnacle for amateur boxing.

“But I also have a long-term aim and that is to turn professional one day, and hopefully have some fights locally to give something back to the local people who have supported me.”

Cyrus, a former Duchess’s Community High School student, broke his thumb a month ago and his last fight had to be cancelled as a result.

“It was a set-back, but I’m on the mend now and I hope to fight in Germany in April.”