Antrim boxer Nicole Clyde insists last year's painful Commonwealth Games lesson has only given her more motivation to succeed.
The 20-year-old realised a dream when getting to represent Northern Ireland in Birmingham last summer.
But her hopes were crushed by Indian opponent and eventual 45-48kg champion Nitu Ghangas who dominated their quarter-final contest, Clyde's corner withdrawing their young prospect after the second round to avoid any further punishment.
Read more: Antrim boxing champion Nicole Clyde on a decade of sacrifice, grind and glory
It was a cruel end to Clyde's Commonwealths, but she now prefers to count it as vital experience that will stand her in good stead.
"The Commonwealths were a brilliant experience, but it just didn't go the way I wanted it to go," she said.
"But I am still young and will take the experience and carry it through with me.
"I felt like a punch bag in the ring in that fight. I have never been hit so hard.
"But those are the fights and experiences you learn from. Just being there in general and seeing the opening ceremony and being in the athletes' village, that was all a learning curve for me.
"You can take experience from that, and getting into the ring with the girl who went on to win the title. I showed a good bit of heart and I learned so much from it.
"And it showed me the calibre of boxer out there. I think if I had been drawn against anyone else it would have gone a bit better.
"But that's my luck, I always get the tough end of the draw."
Clyde has certainly bounced back in style, and last month she landed her fifth Irish Elite title, and her first in the senior ranks, when beating Chloe Gabriel in the 52kg final at the National Stadium in Dublin.
As for the rest of 2023, Clyde has already set her sights on March's World Championships.
"This year I hope to get back down to Dublin with the High Performance set-up. The World Championships are coming up in March so hopefully I can get my name down for that," she added.
"And we will see where we go from here. People ask about the Olympics but they aren't really on my radar right now.
"The Irish title was at an Olympic weight, but I wouldn't be too concerned about going to the Olympics this time. I am happy enough to take what comes."
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