Tania Macdonald's almost always on the sideline watching her three boys play their Saturday sports. At ages three, six and nine they're throwing their bodies and emotions on the line – and having fun doing it. It's given Mum some sort of epiphany.
'I'm 34 years old now and I wanted to get out of my comfort zone and do something I never thought I'd do.”
That something became boxing. Tania enrolled in a mummy's boxing beginner's class at S.P.E.E Training at the Mount. And the rest, they say, is history.
Come Saturday, September 17, Tania will be stepping in the boxing ring at the inaugural Battle of The Gyms fight night at Classic Flyers.
There could be a few hard hits – but Tania's ready. She's done eight weeks of training for this.
'We have confidence in our trainers. It's nice to have their knowledge, so it's not that scary. It's in a controlled environment so you feel safe.
'You still get hit and it's a bit of a shock but you learn how to deal with that. You learn all the techniques to block and move.”
On September 17, she'll be putting all of her petite 65kgs on the line. The 34-year-old mum will be in the ring with 27-year-old Rachel Axis from Tutahi Boxing and Ocean Blue Gym.
'I know she's taller than me so she'll have a longer reach. I'm going to have to be a little bit faster to get to her,” says Tania.
Her three boys will so proud. 'I can't wait to show everything I've learned and how far I've progressed.
'I feel like I'm a lot more of a confident person. I'll speak my mind a little bit more, make my voice heard. I don't know why, but I feel stronger all over.
'I used to just stand there and punch and it was just a tap with the bag. Now I can move around and punch and aim. It's quite addictive really. The more I keep doing it, my confidence grows.”
She's tossing up names for when the MC introduces her to the ring. 'We were having a laugh and an idea we came up with is ‘Mumma T'.”
Battle of the Gyms is about athletes versus athletes showcasing the sport of boxing, says Reece Spee, owner and director of S.P.E.E Training.
'We want to showcase the trainers' styles in the boxing ring and offer an event where people can put their training into action.”
There'll be competitors from eight gyms across the North Island stepping into the boxing ring.
'We're hoping to inspire people to give it a try, make a change, step into something they were unsure of and gain that confidence and feeling of trust,” says Reece, who will be putting his money where his mouth is and stepping into the ring on fight night.
Sponsored by S.P.E.E Training, LJ Hooker Mount Maunganui and EBOS Sport, Genera and Fitco, Battle of the Gyms is at Classic Flyers at 5pm on Saturday, September 17. To purchase tickets email battleofthegyms001@gmail.com