Raven Chapman credits trainer Stuart Scott with saving her life after brain bleed

Raven Chapman believes the quick actions of her trainer, Stuart Scott, may have saved her life after she suffered a bleed on the brain this summer.

Chapman is 32 and was born in Norwich. She trains at Warriors Gym in High Wycombe. On 24 July, after a sparring session in Denmark, she was airlifted to hospital and placed in a medically induced coma, a controlled state of unconsciousness that doctors use to protect the brain while it heals.

Scott called an ambulance after noticing Chapman was not acting like herself, and she collapsed after training. Doctors diagnosed a brain haematoma, a collection of blood inside the skull, along with cerebral oedema, which is swelling of the brain. The BBC report says Chapman was in surgery less than an hour after the ambulance was called. She said the operation stopped the bleeding and brought the swelling under control.

Her road back has been long. She was initially wheelchair-bound in early recovery. She has now laced up gloves again to hit pads and bags. She has also spoken publicly about the injury, giving a first-hand interview to BBC South Today. She told the BBC she probably would never get a boxing licence again, which is the official permission that lets a fighter compete in a sanctioned bout.

Money has been raised to help her. A fundraiser for her return to the UK and long-term recovery has raised £97,792. The leading donors included Queensberry, Eddie Hearn of Matchroom Boxing, and Nakisa Bidarian of Most Valuable Promotions. Chapman thanked supporters and said the money will help her get everything she needs to get better.

Her professional record stands at 10 wins and two defeats from 12 fights. The most notable loss came in October 2024, when she lost to Skye Nicolson in a bid for the WBC featherweight title. The WBC is one of the four major sanctioning bodies that sanction world championship fights, and featherweight is the division for fighters up to 126 pounds, or 57 kilograms.

For casual fans, the story is a reminder of how quickly a routine training day can turn serious. Boxing's head injuries are a known risk, and most of the time the danger is not visible from the ringside. Chapman's account puts the focus on the people around a fighter, and on the speed of the response when something seems wrong.