Ana Apatu: Fighting to make things better

Hastings Mayor Lawrence Yule

Hastings Mayor and U-Turn trustee Lawrence Yule cut the ribbon at the Flaxmere Boxing Academy launch surrounded by its children. We have moved our premises back to Flaxmere and have a room in the Community Centre with our own entrance way opposite Waterworld.

This is in response to our Flaxmere boys dropping off attending our Stortford Lodge site. Our talented head coach, Craig McDougall, transitions to setting up the Hastings Giants.

The kaupapa of our Flaxmere site welcomes females of all ages to attend. The interest and participation from females soon outnumbers the males - about 4:1 by last count. Twice-a-week classes soon turn into four classes a week and growing.

The preparation with setting up the academy has been intense. What boxing academy is there without a ring? Kei and Merrill Purcell Nawton Boxing Academy in Hamilton had just what was needed. Volunteers Jack Pritchard, Chewy Rodger and Franko help us to set up the new smaller 5m x 5m ring. They work weekends and in between their day jobs.

The ring has a new floor mounted on pallets. After a paint job, painted chains, foam and duct tape on the ropes - it's perfect. It makes those who train in this smaller ring work harder, Merrill Purcell assures Henare and I. There is nowhere to run.

Laughlan, Rebeccah, Shona, Rewa and others are consistently there every session to assist and support. Once again, our sponsors are amazing. Andy (Lowe Corporation) comes with his boy Hunter, Simon (Tremain's) Danny (Unison), police, councillor Sandra Hazlehurst and, most importantly, parents and children of Flaxmere. We thank those sponsors unable to make it such as Ken (Flaxmere Licensing Trust) and Rollo (Vavasour).

We have Andrew from the rapid relief team that offers to do the Tunu Tunu barbecue. We have a heart-stopping moment where a child is retrieved from in front of a car which had started to pull out. Thankfully, only bruising.

The next day, Saturday, we attend Hastings Intermediate where Craig's Hastings Giants host a boxing tournament. I want to show my support but just briefly as boxing is not my thing. I take a seat to watch the juniors - cadets, junior cadets - all novices.

I look around and am fascinated by the mothers who are egging their children on "c'mon give it your best shot, move your feet, get in there". Imagining how hopeless I would be if I was a mother of these "little children". I imagine embarrassing myself and my child by rushing up to the ring and crying out "stop, stop - you're hurting him".

But I find myself relaxing and not wincing with every landed shot. I am transfixed. I actually begin to enjoy myself. It takes a lot of courage to get out from your corner to face your opponent.

In fact these children are plucky - they all genuinely give it their best shot and appear to be extremely focused. I love the way they all hug each other at the end of their bout. I realise there is skill involved even at this early stage of boxing.

I congratulate those who walk past whether they have won or not. Who cares who won. There are "demo" fights where the older more experienced have a couple of rounds with more intensity.

Now I know many of you reading this article do not support boxing - I have seen and heard some of your comments. The "yeah right" smashing each other at boxing - really good idea. I myself had some reservations early in the piece before I became involved.

But, really, it's the old saying "the proof is in the pudding" - there are so many interventions that are so ineffective. For some reason, the Boxing Academy resonates with some.

I have watched the magic that Craig and Henare weave. Whether its connectivity or feeling part of something or maybe it's being told "good on you - well done" when all you have ever heard is how useless you are and how you will never amount to anything.

So now my team are seriously thinking about a purpose-built building. One thing is for sure - Flaxmere Boxing Academy has come home.

-Ana Apatu is chief executive of the U-Turn Trust, based at Te Aranga Marae in Flaxmere.