SHE’S done it all in the amateur ranks and now Olympic boxing champion Lauren Price is ready for a new challenge as a professional.

The Gwent star became the first Welsh fighter to win gold at an Olympic Games when she triumphed in Tokyo last summer.

Her 2021 got even better when she was crowned National Lottery Olympian of the Year and named BBC Cymru Wales Sports Personality of the Year.

An incredible 12 months was then topped off by her landing an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours list.

And the 27-year-old from Ystrad Mynach has now decided to call time on her amateur career, with details of Price’s switch to the pro game set to be announced later this month.

"I'm definitely going to go professional, it should come out in the next few weeks who I intend to sign with," she said.

"Now I want to go on the next journey and that is following in the footsteps of one of the greatest in Katie Taylor.

"She's undisputed (professional champion) and I want to do what she has done.

"I was the first Welsh person to win Olympic boxing gold and maybe I can be the first [Welsh] female to become a world champion as well."

Price, who still plans to train with Team GB boxing coach Rob McCracken in Sheffield, can’t wait to start a new chapter of her life.

"Winning Olympic gold changed my life. The money is there now for women's boxing," she added.

"It's an exciting time in general for women's boxing and a lot of people are saying to me we've got it good, the money is there for the women that has never been there before.

"I won the Olympics and thought 'what do I do now?'. But the professional challenge, it excites me, I am really looking forward to it."

Reflecting on the past year, she told BBC Sport Wales: "Winning Welsh Sports Personality of the Year and then having this (MBE) to top the year off, it has been a year I will never forget with winning gold as well, it's been the best year of my career.

"Winning Olympic gold will top everything, no matter what I go on to achieve.

"Being an Olympic champion has been a dream of mine since childhood, sitting in my living room with my nan and grandad at eight years of age and seeing Kelly Holmes win gold.

“I was stunned as a child, every night of the week I'd be out training doing kickboxing or football training or the gym.

"All that work at that level is what has got me to where I am today, that and the support of my nan and grandad.

"I am getting the rewards now, getting an MBE from the Queen is special, sometimes I need to pinch myself."