Stacey Copeland is a history-maker, a barrier-breaker, and one of Manchester’s most unstoppable forces. In a city that thrives on resilience, reinvention, and defying expectations, she has done all three—again and again. The first British woman to win the Commonwealth boxing title. The first female to commentate on boxing for BBC 5Live. A footballer who played across three continents. A campaigner who has changed the landscape for women in sport. Few have done so much, in so many arenas, and still made it their mission to lift others along the way.
Born into a boxing family in Manchester, Stacey Copeland grew up in a world where women weren’t supposed to step inside the ring. At her grandfather’s gym, she trained alongside men and boys—but competition was illegal for women in Britain. That didn’t stop her. When she wasn’t boxing in secret, she was on the football pitch, excelling at a sport that—at the time—offered little in the way of professional opportunity for women. Stacey Copeland didn’t just fight opponents—she fought the system itself.
As a footballer, she represented England at U18 level, played in the Women’s Premier League, and competed in America, Brazil, and Sweden, pushing herself to the limits in an era when women’s football was underfunded, overlooked, and marginalised. Yet even at the top of the sport, doors remained closed—so she knocked them down in another arena. Boxing had always been her first love, and in 2018, she made history as the first British woman to win the Commonwealth title.
Winning was not enough. Making sure others had the same opportunities she fought for became the next battle. In 2017, she founded Pave The Way, a movement dedicated to dismantling gender stereotypes in sport, education, and society. Stacey Copeland didn’t just want to be the first—she wanted to make sure she was never the last. Through schools, sports clubs, and grassroots activism, Pave The Way has changed lives, ensuring that girls, boys, men, and women can pursue their passions free from the limitations of outdated traditions.
Since retiring from professional sport, Stacey Copeland has continued breaking barriers in the commentary box and on the global stage. A skilled broadcaster and commentator, she has worked with BBC, ITV, and Sky Sports, and in February 2025, she became the first woman ever to commentate on boxing for BBC 5Live. Where once she was fighting for the right to box, she is now shaping how the sport is covered—ensuring that women are not just part of the conversation, but leading it.
Beyond sport, she has taken Manchester’s fighting spirit to the European Parliament, the United Nations, and TEDx stages, delivering powerful talks on resilience, inclusion, and the right to pursue one’s dreams. She is not just a champion in the ring—she is a champion for change, for equality, for those who come after her.
Manchester has always been a city that challenges, pioneers, and leads. Stacey Copeland is the living embodiment of that spirit. She is what happens when talent, determination, and the refusal to accept ‘no’ meet a city built on the same principles. Few have achieved what she has. Fewer still have made sure others can follow.
About Frameworthy
Frameworthy is an uplifting and powerful exhibition series celebrating those making the greatest difference—changemakers—through art. Held throughout the UK and further afield in iconic arts-related and cultural venues, Frameworthy exhibitions and art shows are unique and inspiring occasions where changemakers from all backgrounds come together, mingling in front of art that honours them, alongside dignitaries, the press, and fellow changemakers.
Through powerful storytelling, breathtaking art, and unforgettable exhibitions, Frameworthy celebrates impact, community, and the beauty of cultural spaces. Each portrait is created at no cost to the changemaker, ensuring that those shaping our world are recognised in the timeless medium of art.
More than just an exhibition, Frameworthy is a joyful, diverse, and meaningful celebration—where changemakers, remarkable venues, and the communities they serve are honoured and uplifted.
Discover more about Frameworthy’s exhibitions and the people we celebrate here.
