Canadian boxing champion Mary Spencer returned home empty-handed Monday after competing in the London Games.

She embraced dozens of friends, family and fans who greeted her at Windsor International Airport.

"It means so much, especially since I've been thinking so much in the past week about the next four years and just knowing that my friends are there supporting me no matter what, and that's a really good feeling," said Spencer.

The 27-year-old said her most memorable Olympic moment was sharing a coffee with mother, coach and friends in London while watching a light show.

Spencer lost her first fight Aug. 6 in the second round, 17-14, to Chinese fighter Jinzi Li.

It was a surprising result since Spencer beat Li in their two previous meetings. A win would have guaranteed her a medal.

"It was over three years worth of nerves going into that fight. It was a feeling that I hadn't really had before. I never thought that I'd be feeling pressure and it's not pressure that anyone else put on me. It's pressure I put on myself," said Spencer.

Spencer said she received overwhelming support from Canadians, especially on social media.

She's humbled that her Olympic journey has inspired others to punch their way into the sport.

"I saw some stuff on my Twitter and Facebook, girls who told me that now they want to try boxing and I think that's really cool. There's going to be a day when you tell a girl who's a new boxer that I remember I time when females weren't allowed to box in the Olympics and they are not going to believe you," said Spencer.

Spencer said she's not giving up the fight, but the thought of retirement did cross her mind after leaving the Olympics.

"If things went my way and I came home with a gold medal, how would I be able to go to the gym with the same kind of passion as I've had in the last 10 years? If I'm not going to train with passion, then I don't want to train. Now I'm thinking, 'Well, this is good because I get to do what I like to do another four years," said Spencer.

Spencer is already thinking ahead to the 2016 Summer Games in Rio de Janeiro.

"I've been actually pretty excited every time I think about it because I love boxing, and now I'm able to stay motivated in doing what I love to do for the next four years. I just can't wait, it's going to be great," said Spencer.