When Saad Abdullah was young he was "picked on quite often" for having issues with his speaking, often mixing up words and struggling to get them out the way he wanted.

"It was always frustrating, because I knew what I wanted to say but couldn't always say it fluently," said the 21-year-old from Cardiff.

Struggling to communicate with his peers and teachers, and also made fun of due to his small stature, his dad started taking him to boxing classes to build up his self-belief.

It was an approach that worked.

Feeling comfortable in the ring, his confidence started improving, and that – combined with speech therapy – helped his speech to improve.

He has since gone on to be a full-time boxer, winning his first four professional fights.

"I was always insecure and quiet – but boxing gave me my voice and my way of proving I belonged somewhere," he said.

Inspired by his own journey, he and his dad have now set up a gym in Cardiff for neurodivergent children or those unable to focus in school or at home.

Saad became aware of his speech impediment early on in life "especially when reading out loud or speaking with others", saying it made him self-conscious.

Having watched a fight previously, and knowing it was something he wanted to try, on his 10th birthday his dad took him to a boxing gym.

At first he felt nervous, and said he received "dirty looks" from people "like I didn't belong there".

"I was never the most educated kid. I was never the best footballer, and I tried other sports but it didn't work out," he said.

But boxing was different, and he found something he could dedicate himself to.

"It gave me more confidence and my purpose," he said.

Aged 18, while in his second year of his A-levels, he left school and began pursuing boxing full time, turning professional the following year.

He has competed in Welsh and British boxing championships at an elite amateur level, and has represented Wales at competitions abroad. He has also fought many fights in the United Arab Emirates.

Saad said the challenges he faced when he was younger helped him on his boxing journey, saying that struggling to express himself made him "comfortable with pressure and discomfort".

"In the ring, that translates to staying calm, composed and focused even when things aren't going perfectly," he said.

This mindset helped him overcome a severe leg injury lasting several years, after which he won some important fights.

"Stepping back into that environment and performing the way I did felt special and more meaningful," he said, especially after "a lot of people had counted me out".

Last year he and his dad, Abdullah Ahmed, who is also his coach, opened Prosperity Boxing which caters to neurodivergent children and those facing difficulties.

Saad said his dad supported him even when he lost his first four fights and suffered injuries, seeing the "quiet struggles, the setbacks, but he never stopped believing in me".

His ambition is to become a multi-weight champion, and sign with a major boxing agency, but he is also proud to be a role model for young people in his area.

"I always wanted people to look at my journey like, if he can do it, why can't I?" he said.

"I wanted to be an example – not just for fighters but those struggling in life."

He remembers the moments when he had "no confidence", but is pleased that children now look at him like a "role model".

"Boxing became a way for me to express myself without words, and that gave me confidence," he said.