Determination, confidence and hunger for the fight paid off for two young Wairarapa boxers earlier this month.
Daisee Omundsen and Tyson Noda, representing the Wairarapa Boxing Academy, returned with a gold medal each from the New Zealand Amateur Boxing Championships in Tauranga, which attracted 177 competitors from across the country.
Wairarapa College student Omundsen, who competes in the junior 52kg division, was up against fellow Masterton boxer Brooke Miller – who beat Omundsen in their last encounter at the Wellington Championships.
“I could see [Miller] warming up, and I’m like, ‘okay, she’s been training hard for this. This is gonna be a tough fight’,” Omundsen said.
“That sort of got me in the flow of ‘I’m gonna need to perform for this. This is my space – the ring is mine’.”
Omundsen was able to turn her earlier disappointment against Miller into fuel for the match.
“If I lose one fight, I’m so hungry for another one. I’m hungry to beat that person.”
Omundsen beat Miller in three two-minute rounds to take gold in her category.
Noda [17] also went into his match with something to prove.
Earlier this year, he lost out on a spot in the Oceania Boxing Confederation Junior and Youth Boxing Championships in Samoa to three-time national champion Kwahli Beauchamp – his opponent in Tauranga.
“That’s all I was focusing on. I’m just here to prove my point. I just locked in,” Noda said.
It was an emphatic and fast win for Noda.
“I just hunted him down and beat him in two minutes and 30 seconds. No messing around.”
For Omundsen, success in the ring is down to training hard and having “100 per cent confidence in yourself”.
“Other people can have confidence in you, but because it’s a one-man sport, that’s not going help you in the ring.
“You don’t have a team to back you up or take over – it’s just you and the other person. So self-confidence is probably the most important part of boxing.”
While confidence is king, respect and humility are also part of Noda and Omundsen’s playbook.
Knowing how losing feels, Noda is “very humble after a fight”.
“I always try and go over to their corner, give them a hug and say good stuff – give them compliments about how they fought.”
Omundsen’s respect for Miller, who also attends WaiCol, goes beyond the Tauranga competition.
“She’s a great boxer. I still have so much respect for her as a fighter and a person,” she said.
“And, it’s cool being two female boxers from this little town, Masterton – two high-level female boxers. So we can relate to each other, even though we fight against each other.”
Omundsen’s next competitive bout will be at the Australian Golden Gloves competition in Brisbane in August. Noda hopes to compete in the North Island Golden Gloves in October.
