3 days ago
On The Up: Napier teen Mercede Eunson wins gold at Australian boxing tournament
'So I just had to move a lot more than what I normally do, which really worked my fitness.'
At her experience level, she said it is really hard to find opponents, and she was initially running unopposed in the competition until a girl in a lower category with less experience stepped up, making the bout a straight final.
But that one fight wasn't enough for the young champion from Napier.
Mercede's mother and coach Naomi Eunson said after winning the under-17 division she stepped up to take on the under-19 champ.
'Unfortunately, we didn't win that match, and the New Zealand number one and number two in under-19 also fought the same opponent at the tournament and everyone lost to her,' Naomi said.
'So she was very, very tough competition, but we just wanted to take the experience and get as much out of it as we could, which was great.'
Up next is the Boxing NZ Championships in September, but now Mercede has a taste of boxing overseas, she wants more.
'There's another one in Australia which is called the Queen of the Ring and it's really just for all of the girls, so there'll be heaps of opponents there,' Mercede said.
'It's the first female-only tournament to be run in the Australasian area, so we might look at going into that if we can get enough funding,' Naomi said.
'Everything comes down to funding.'
Naomi (left) and Mercede Eunson at the Napier Boxing Club. Photo / Jack Riddell
Naomi has been head coach at Napier Boxing for the last three years.
In that time the club has won three golds at the National Championships, and produced five golden glove winners.
'We've had so many winners coming through, it's putting us back on the map,' Naomi said.
The club started a female academy this year and has more than 20 girls aged 11 to 15 training to compete.
Plus the club's women's classes are so fully booked, Naomi has had to start a waiting list.
'It's been a lonely sport for Mercede, being one of a couple of females in the club for some years now, so it's really nice for her to have teammates coming through now,' Naomi said.
'I was always like the odd one out, always the youngest, only girl, and now that I've got another female teammate who's my age, she's become like my best friend, so it's awesome,' Mercede said.
Mercede's long-term goal is to represent NZ at an Olympics, but away from sport she has her eye on becoming a police officer.
'After I leave school, I'd like to go to the army and do a trade in carpentry cause I'm really good at like woodwork and metal work.'
Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke's Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in Auckland, London, Berlin, and Napier.
