A former Belfast boxer admits he has no regrets over early retirement. He admits he is "far too busy" to dwell on the past.
Ciaran McVarnock called time on his fledgling career in the summer of 2021. He retired with an unbeaten pro record of 11 wins and one draw.
The 30-year-old's last fight was in May last year when he outpointed Jamie Quinn at Sheffield Arena Car Park. That was his first fight in two years, with the lengthy period of inactivity in between punctuated by the Covid-19 pandemic and his girlfriend's fight with Cystic Fibrosis.
Read more: Sporting stars to don boots for Cystic Fibrosis Charity Football Match
McVarnock is in the process of organising a charity football match in aid of the Cystic Fibrosis Trust, with a number of footballers, boxers and celebrities donning their boots at Seaview on July 9. He and girlfriend Nicole Adams are also expecting their first child in October.
"People keep saying I should make the most of this free time before the baby arrives, but I have been flat out," McVarnock joked. "I am also running a boxing event at the end of July in Rathcoole, which will be another charity event for the Cystic Fibrosis Trust.
"So I am up to my eyeballs organising these events. And then there's everything else that's going on."
Reflecting on his decision to retire, McVarnock said: "I just fell out of love with boxing. I had been pretty inactive due to the pandemic and other reasons.
"But I am enjoying life now. I am able to spend a lot more time with Nicole and this is the next chapter of my life.
"It is family time and I am moving on with my life. It's all about family now."
Despite retiring from professional boxing, McVarnock is still involved in the sport. He takes some kids' coaching in a number of Belfast schools and hopes to roll out more sessions in the months ahead.
He added: "I am coaching in schools and I am really enjoying it. I still keep in touch with a lot of people in the boxing game and I coach kids in the schools and do some personal coaching.
"I had planned to bring boxing to schools before the pandemic arrived, because a lot of schools mainly focus on other sports including football. I thought it would be good to bring boxing in and give kids a solid grounding in the sport.
"Now I am retired, I had it in my mind that this is what I wanted to do. I moved back to Belfast last July and got into the schools in October/November, so it was quite quick.
"It isn't all about boxing. It is about the fundamentals, the healthy lifestyle, fitness - things like that.
"When I meet them for the first time, I always ask the kids if they have ever been in a boxing gym before, and they all say no. A lot of them are scared to make the jump into a boxing club, but the school sessions really help.
"I bring the kids to Brian Magee's gym during the six-week course. And for many of them it is their first time inside a boxing gym.
"And then when I go back to the schools a few weeks after the course, the same kids come to me and say they have joined such and such a gym and all that. They tell me it is keeping them off the streets, so it ticks a lot of boxes.
"I am also in the process of setting up my own school at Crusaders Football Club. I have met a lot of kids who are on the verge of being suspended or expelled from school, and I can take them in and do some boxing training with them.
"I can even do strength and conditioning if they are more into football. I will also sit down with the tutor and work out a plan so they can leave with a qualification.
"A lot of the kids come from broken families, so they are not your average kids. So we mentor them and help guide them along the right paths in life."
McVarnock admits he always wanted to "give something back to boxing" after he retired from the sport.
"In boxing, it is hard to get away from it. It is addictive," he added.
"People can easily fall into depression when they retire because boxing was their life. I have been blessed with these wonderful opportunities since retiring myself.
"I have decided to do something about it. I am now making a career and business out of boxing.
"The sport has opened up these pathways. So it is a blessing, to be honest."
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