The factor Natasha Jonas once feared would end her boxing career now serves as her biggest motivation.

The former Team GB Olympian retired from the sport and left behind her standout amateur career when she fell pregnant with her daughter in 2015.

Five years on, Jonas will fight to become a world champion as she takes on British rival Terri Harper for her WBC and IBO female super-featherweight titles at Fight Camp on Friday.

It is fitting that her preparations for the fight have seen her daughter, Mela, join her in the gym during lockdown as she juggles motherhood with her boxing career.

Jonas, 36, is now out to not only make her daughter proud but also change perceptions of female athletes and mothers.

“Once I retired from amateur boxing to have my daughter, I thought that was the end of my boxing career,” Jonas said.

“Obviously women gain a lot of weight, boxing is a weight-driven sport and I just didn’t think I’d ever get myself to that physical peak again.

Natasha Jonas has found her ultimate inspiration in the form of her daughter, Mela (
Image:
Liverpool Echo)

“But when opportunities arise in my life, I always try to take them and whether they work or not, in 20 years time I can look back and say I did it rather than ifs or buts.

“Of course, she’s my motivation and I think being a Mum has just put boxing into perspective to be fair.

“I’m expected to do certain things because I’m a mum, be the nurturing one, but I’m just like any other working mum, it’s just that my job is boxing which is a bit different.

“People think it’s different for men and I understand that it can be slightly different, but they’re still a parent and it’s just the perception that is different. That’s something I want to get across.

“I remember when I first turned professional everyone was like, ‘oh my god she’s a mum and she’s a professional boxer’. It was a big deal.

“I remember just thinking, ‘why is it a big deal? Mums go back to work all the time and that’s all I’m doing’.

“You don’t ever think about inspiring other people, but people do message me saying ‘you’re a great role model for kids and mums alike’.

Jonas is out to change perceptions and was joined by Mela in training camp (
Image:
Andrew Teebay/Liverpool Echo)

“I don’t do it for any of that, but that’s something that comes with it - someone will be inspired by your story no matter what your story is and I guess that’s a nice part of it.”

Jonas has shared heartwarming videos of her daughter joining her in the gym as she prepares for the biggest night of her career so far.

In some ways, the situation has been lost on the youngster, who Jonas admits is more concerned with when her sister, England international Nikita Parris, will be back on the football pitch.

But for Jonas, it has meant she enters the ring at Matchroom HQ on Friday in top condition both mentally and physically.

Jonas says: “She doesn’t really understand to be honest, and to be fair she’s more interested in what Nikita is doing and when she’s back playing football!

“But she enjoys coming in, having a mess around with me and doing some of the conditioning work. For her it’s just a different day to being with Mum in the house and I’ve loved having her there.

Jonas is ready for the biggest night of her career as she aims to win Harper's world titles (
Image:
Getty Images)

“I’m super excited, it’s the biggest night of my pro career and weirdly enough I don’t feel that I’ve got any pressure on me.

“Mentally, physically, emotionally I’m in a good place and I think the lockdown has served me well. I’ve come out fresh, I’ve had more time to prepare and now I’m ready to go.”

It will be a huge moment not just for Jonas but for women’s boxing as the pair headline the second show as part of Matchroom’s ground-breaking Fight Camp in the gardens of their Brentwood HQ.

But Jonas insists treading new ground as a female boxer is nothing new and brings no added pressure.

“I think it’s obviously a great thing to be involved in,” she explains.

“I was part of the first ever female amateur boxing team, part of the first ever one to go to the Olympics, so being the first is nothing new really to be honest.

“But it’s nice to have your name in some part of boxing history, and I think that’s what it is.

Jonas and Harper will break new ground as the first all-British women's world title fight (
Image:
Getty Images)

“Obviously it’s one of the first boxing cards back, all eyes are going to be on it and it’s going to be a big occasion.

“But my job doesn’t change, it’s exactly the same, I’ve just got to go out there and perform and get the job done.”

There are question marks hanging over Jonas and her ability to perform.

She was stunned by Viviane Obenauf in her seventh professional bout, being stopped in the fourth round of their clash in August 2018.

Almost two years to the day since that crushing blow, Jonas believes it serves as a wake-up call and insists she is ready to now grasp her chance at world title glory.

“It was tough,” Jonas admits. “I’d obviously been beat before in my amateur days, but never like that.

Jonas learnt some harsh lessons from her defeat to Viviane Obenauf (
Image:
Getty Images)

“The manner in which I was beaten hurt my pride, and I was very emotional about it.

“It did take me some time to get over that, but I’m over it now. There were questions that I asked of myself and I still hadn’t proved to myself what I wanted to do in the professional game.

“Looking back, that defeat and the way it happened showed me I had to ask some hard questions of myself and that’s what I’ve done.”

If Jonas can claim a huge win over Harper, then there will inevitably be talk of renewing her rivalry with Katie Taylor.

Irish star Taylor beat Jonas at London 2012 en route to a gold medal - and Jonas admits her former foe is the “money fight” that everyone is targeting a weight above in the lightweight division.

Jonas lost to Katie Taylor at London 2012 but would love to meet her rival again (
Image:
PA)

“Of course, Katie is everybody’s money fight,” Jonas admits.

“Both in our division and the division above, you’d be stupid to turn down that fight. Obviously it would be a big spectacle, a huge spectacle for boxing in this country.

“I think she’s everyone’s aim. The heavier fighters are aiming at Braekhus for Claressa Shields, but at our weight I think everyone has to be looking at Katie.

“Regardless of what sport it is, in UFC you’ve got Amanda Nunes, before that you had Ronda Rousey, the people that everybody wants to watch.

“The biggest name, especially across this side of the Atlantic, is Katie so she’s the money fight everyone wants.”