Boxer pulls no punches on her fears in the ring
SA’s first female pro boxer says she knows her passion could kill her
SANDRA Almeida is frank about the risks of being a professional boxer. The 32-year-old says each time she steps on to the canvas to face an opponent, she is aware she may not leave the ring alive.
“Death is something I have to be realistic about,” says Almeida.
She knew in 2007, when she became the first South African woman boxer to tur n professional, exactly what she was signing up for.
“It is a dangerous sport. It is a fact that we must deal with if we choose to pursue it.
“We can blame whomever we want in the end, but it still remains our choice.”
Three weeks ago, South African woman professional boxer Phindile Mwelase died after being in a coma for two weeks.
The light welterweight boxer had been knocked out in a fight against Liz Butler in Pretoria on October 10.
Mwelase was the first woman boxer in South Africa to die as a result of punishment in the ring, but Almeida was not surprised to hear the devastating news.
“What happened to Phindile was a shock to so many.
“I am pretty sure her opponent, Liz, is even more devastated. But again, it’s not completely unheard of for people to die in the ring.
“My boss, Vido Madikane, always reminds me about the seriousness of boxing and ensures I am well protected.
“He watches sparring sessions very closely and if he feels I am getting hurt too much, he knows when to call it a day.”
Almeida says a boxer needs to be well aware of the risks.
“I need to trust in myself to get out of there safely and in my corner.
“I also need to know when to throw in the white towel if it comes to a point where I am in serious trouble.”
It is fear Almeida.
“You learn how to deal with that feeling. One could say that fear is merely suppressed mo-
that
drives mentarily so one is able to execute one’s game plan successfully.”
Almeida, who has fought 10 professional boxing matches, with five wins, four losses and a draw, says she has picked up a good few injuries since becoming a pro boxer.
“The worst injuries I have received have all been during training.
“I’ve had an operation on my nose for a deviated septum and almost been knocked out in sparring during training.
“At my first pro fight in South Africa I went into the ring with a severely sprained ankle from a fall while running. My nose has been smashed badly at times and I have had severe concussions, but all during sparring.”
Almeida says her worst injury during a professional fight was the bloody nose she received while fighting fellow South African Noni Thenge.
In her last fight, last month, she challenged Nomandithini Ndyambo for the South African title – and ended up as the female junior welterweight champion.
“After my title fight, I experienced a headache for three days on and off, but that’s about it.”
Almeida, who lives in Gonubie, near East London, says she hopes Mwelase’s death does not discourage other South African women from taking up boxing.
“I don’t think it will affect female boxers as a whole.
“I speak for myself when I say, if you want to box you want to box, and not even the fear of death will take that out of your heart.
“If Mwelase loved boxing like I do, she died doing something she really loved doing. It’s a small comfort for those close to her.”
After Mwelase’s death, South African trainer Nick Durandt said women should not box.
Almeida says she agrees and disagrees with this. “I am so torn. “I remember standing with Durandt once and he said, very aggressively, to us: ‘Women don’t belong in the ring.’
“But what do you do if you love it? If you are someone who is born to be a musician and your parents force you to study law, do you ever get to feel completely content with your life?”
“We only have one life. What is the point of being here if we cannot live and be able to follow our dreams, however absurd they seem to people?
“Some of us are born to fight.
“Unless you have been there, or have felt it deep inside you, you would not understand it – it would seem so absurd.
“I do believe female boxing in South Africa has become increasingly popular.
“When I see how far some of the girls have come, they box even better than some men. I love watching women box, but feel the South African girls have a long way to go.”