A kaupapa Māori, not-for-profit gym in Christchurch is seeing a real increase in young wahine getting into boxing.
Papuni Boxing Ōtautahi is providing a space for those from all walks of life to realise their potential and at the forefront of it all is former pro and Commonwealth Games athlete, Reece Papuni.
“A lot of our young ones are lacking confidence and what I’ve noticed, they're a lot more introvert,” Papuni told 1News.
“Connections aren't the same so a big part of our Kaupapa [policies] is to connect our young ones.”
That's why Papuni opened a community gym for 7–18-year-olds and while he started out with just 20 athletes two years ago, now there's nearly 70.
A third of them are female with two telling 1News they come for the “socialness” and to learn “to be more confident and be more fit”.
Papuni said that’s all part of the philosophy for his gym.
“We have a variety of young people who come through our space, whether they come from good backgrounds, or backgrounds from deprived communities, we all come as one and we are a space where they are comfortable,” he said.
“They are safe and they can develop a skillset that can go beyond the boxing ring.”
Oshie Lafituanai, 16, was the gym's first registered female and despite her age, she's now training her peers with a plan one day be a sports psychologist.
“Physically, it’s a lot of running and most girls say it’s pretty bad but mentally the girls come out of this really happy knowing they’ve done this and accomplished a lot of things,” Oshie told 1News.
“Especially with sparring – they come out happy and confident knowing they've actually got in there and done something different that not many have tried before.”
Local funding from the likes of the Rātā Foundation, the South Island’s largest philanthropic funder, keeps the gym accessible for all.
Papuni said that support can only do good for the community.
“I know how the sport of boxing can be transformational for a lot of young people and it does save lives and transform people into developing new skillsets they never thought they would in their lifetime.
“When you come into a boxing ring and you’re face to face with a challenge, it’s a hard thing to be confronted with… it’s a massive challenge and when you overcome that, part your confidence skyrockets from there.
“That’s what it’s done for me and I understand what that can do for others and from a young age to seeing it now, I can understand being in their shoes and what they were looking for – a bit of affirmation, a bit of encouragement and giving them the confidence they can do more than what's expected of them.”
It’s all possible for wahine in Christchurch with Papuni Boxing firmly in their corner.
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