LISA WHITESIDE is determined to seize her overdue chance to shine in the Gold Coast sun next month.

She may sigh at the mere mention of her former flyweight rival and double Olympic champion Nicola Adams, but it is a fact that the 32-year-old's aspirations were for so long dependent on Adams' own boxing destiny.

Whiteside had to grab her rare opportunities to underline her status as a true global contender, most notably in the 2014 World Championships in Jeju City, South Korea, where she stepped in at 51kg after Adams withdrew with a shoulder injury and won the silver medal.