Page 19 - Beyond_the_Classroom

Whetu Middleton 1992

“It was one of my goals for
the year to get a New Zealand grounds. The next day we left for
title. Timaru and the champs.
“Every provincial tourn- “Finals night I was really
ament I went to I really wanted to nervous - I changed into my gear
win, but always at the back of my and got warmed up with pad
mind were the New Zealand work. Soon my fight was about to
Nationals. start and my adrenalin was
“The week I was selected I pumping.
was just getting over an injury “The bell rang and the fight
which stopped me from training began. The first round was
for three weeks. The night I went disappointing and I lost it in a bad
back to boxing was the Waikato way. In the second round my
training night. I found the training punches started to flow, and I won
really difficult. that one.
“Things started coming “For the third round my
right one week from the trainer’s instructions were to go
Nationals. My fitness was really out and give it heaps. I did, and I
hitting its peak, my weight was New Zealand Under-57kg won!
great, my footwork and punching Boxing Champion “When I got my certificate I
were 98%. got David Tua* to sign it.
“Everything was going to plan until two days “Amateur boxing is not all blood and black eyes.
before the big event I got bronchitis. The doctor said a It’s a great sport. Some people may not agree, but if

couple of days rest and antibiotics would do the trick. they knew what went on at the gym they would change
“We left Ngaruawahia at 5am and arrived in their minds.”
Wellington at 12 noon. The ferry was scheduled to
depart at 2pm, so we saw a little of the Capital city.
“On the ferry I met my opponent and we had a * Heavyweight NZ boxer David Tua was ranked #3 in
bit of a chat. After arriving at Picton my team-mate the world in 1998.
Steve and I had a light training run round the hotel

Alan Whanga 1993

Alan Whanga, aged 14, won a gold medal at the
North Island Wrestling Championships and a the National

Championships in 1994.
Alan has been wrestling for five years and has twice
represented Waikato in the 10-13 age group and the 14-16
age group. He also represented New Zealand at the South
Pacific Championships.

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