After creating history by being the first female boxer in her weight division to win a Commonwealth gold, Shelley wasn’t about to kick back and rest up.

As the Commonwealth flame was extinguished in Glasgow Scotland, Shelley was on the high of a lifetime and in a place where you can see country after country in the time it takes to drive from Laurieton to Sydney.

And that’s exactly what she did. The gloves were off and the online travel booking system was turned on.

She took in parts of the Monopoly board in London, celebrated her 27th birthday in Amsterdam and sampled the sights of Greece with a visit to Mykonos.

And why not?

After all, strolling the beaches of the Greek islands would certainly be a change to pounding the pavement twice a day, from Laurieton to North Haven beach, six days a week as she prepared for her dream which turned to gold.

Three years ago the powers-that-be allowed female boxing into the Commonwealth Games and that’s when Shelley decided to “go for it”.

“I’ve been lucky enough, with Boxing Australia, to travel the world to compete and see what I needed to do to better myself,” Shelley said.

Since then Shelley has spent the majority of her time training at home in Laurieton and in Penrith at Toe the Line Boxing Gym, twice a day, every day at 5am and 4.30pm.

Coach Mark Grech put Shelley through countless weight, sprint, sparring, conditioning and bag sessions.

“I was doing all I needed to make sure I was at my peak physically and mentally,” Shelley said.

Watching her in action at the Commonwealth Games it was clear Shelley’s strength of body and mind gave her the gold medal edge.

“It wasn’t until January this year that I focussed on my mental training,” Shelley said.

“I lost my last two major titles to Jessica Retallick and I needed to beat her to win the Australian title and the chance to go to the Commonwealth Games. I started doing a lot of reading and research on mental training techniques. I used visualisation techniques to picture having my hand raised and the announcer saying I was victorious.

“Before doing mental training it was all about tactics and the physical side. I have no doubt that my mental strength was the difference to me winning the Australian title and not winning.

“I had a good lead up to the games; training at the Australian Institute of Sport, international training camps and settling into the athletes’ village in Glasgow. I got the chance to go to the boxing stadium and experience the high of my team mates winning before I got in the ring myself.

“I visualised daily. I got to hear the particular way the winner’s name was announced in the stadium and I would put myself in that place.

“From the moment I landed in Glasgow I felt calm. I can’t really explain it, but I just had a smile on my face the whole time. I’m usually a headcase before a fight, but throughout the games I felt clear, no doubts crept in.”

Shelley said she received hundreds upon hundreds of messages of support from the Camden Haven.

“I read every single one of those messages,” Shelley said.

“There was plenty of support from my coaches and team mates, but without the support of the community I couldn’t have done this. Boxing is an individual sport, but I never felt alone in the ring the Camden Haven was there with me.”

Shelley touched down at Port Macquarie on Sunday and greeted by a crowd of supporters, family, friends and green and gold balloons.

“I’ve been waiting two weeks for that moment to hug my family and friends. It was amazing,” Shelley said.

Her two younger brothers Samuel and Jy receive a special mention from Shelley.

“As a big sister you want to do everything you can to make your brothers proud and be someone they can look up to. Being able to do that is pretty special to me.”

Shelley plans on spending her remaining time in Laurieton visiting local schools to talk to children about achieving dreams and letting them touch the gold medal.

After that it’s back into training.

“I’ll head back to the AIS on August 30. We have the Philippines coming over for a training camp and then the World Championships in November (in Jeju South Korea).

“I want to prepare myself for the worlds as much as I did for the Commonwealth Games because in boxing, there is no event bigger. I want to get a top ten ranking and push my success onto a bigger stage and match it with the best countries in the world.

“Beyond that it’s a yes to try for the Olympics in Rio in 2016 and a yes to try for the Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast in 2018.

“I’ll listen to my body, but after hearing the roar the Scottish boxers received in Glasgow, I would be honoured to represent Australia on the Gold Coast.

“At the moment, I’m riding the biggest high of my life.”