Principal boxing way to new life
Approaching 50, unhappy with her weight and married to her job – that was Tokoroa Tainui Full Primary School principal Tania Morrison’s reality two years ago.
Now she is 21 kilograms lighter, spending more time with her family, energised and set to compete in her first boxing match.
Morrison has entered the April 17 Gofox Iron Fist 10 Charity Fight Night at Lake Karapiro’s Don Rowlands Centre, where she will battle Tonia Rielly in the cruiserweight division.
The event, which will feature the likes of professional heavyweight boxer and former All Black Liam Messam facing Joe Ageli, will consist of four professional boxing bouts, one amateur kickboxing bout, and 16 corporate boxing bouts.
Money raised is going towards helping Tauranga 8-year-old Antonio Pohatu-Barbarich, who is being treated for brain cancer at Starship children’s hospital.
Morrison said if someone told her two years ago that she would be competing, she would have thought they were crazy. ‘‘I would be like: ‘Hell no, that is not something I want to do. Are you stupid?’ ’’ she laughed.
Despite never having boxed, it all changed for Morrison when she walked into Putaruru’s Ace Fighters gym, where she has been training with Nigel Elliott.
‘‘I decided to go in because I wanted to support a local business. Before, my whole life was school; I had nothing outside of it,’’ she said. ‘‘I had a go and it was just: oh my gosh, I really love this. It was immediate.’’
Morrison soon found herself wanting to push further. The Gofox Iron Fist 10 caught her eye.
‘‘I am 50 next year and I thought: I am going to do it before I am 50,’’ she said. ‘‘I asked Nigel straight up if he thought I could do this and if he could match me with someone of a similar age and he said: ‘Sure, we will make it happen’. It has been one of the most challenging things I have ever done.
‘‘But it has all been worth it. I have had to look at what I eat and I have lost something like 21kg since I started. I train six days a week, for up to two hours a day, and I can now run, which I was never really able to do before.
‘‘I also have way more energy, which is really beneficial as a principal of a school and lead principal of seven other Tokoroa schools.’’
Her students, however, have been a little concerned about her new-found interest. ‘‘They are like: ‘Are you having a fight, Mrs Morrison? Are you allowed to fight?’ We have done a little bit of explaining . . . They understand I will be wearing headgear, a mouth guard and that it is in a safe place so it is not just me trying to pick a fight with someone.’’
Morrison encouraged other women not to limit themselves. ‘‘I am now in the middle of getting my boxing level 1 certificate. It has got me so inspired that I want to teach others. You are never too old and it does not matter what size you are, it is about having the right mindset. Go for it.’’