The Anzac fighting spirit will be with one of our region’s up and coming boxers when she steps into the ring for her first amateur bout on Saturday night.
Nelson’s Caitlin Fielder has been boxing training for three years and, despite being asked several times to compete as an amateur boxer, the timing wasn’t quite right.
“The opportunity to fight has come up a couple of times but I never felt that I could put 100 per cent into training due to other commitments, but this one came up and all things just fell into place,” she says.
Caitlin knows only too well about dedication and sacrifice. Her grandfather is WWII veteran, Les Munro, the last surviving pilot of the Dambusters Raid, who presented his war medals and memorabilia to Auckland’s Motat museum in a special ceremony last week.
“My grandfather is a pretty big inspiration for me. He doesn’t know I am having a fight yet but he does know that I have been boxing training as I used to visit him on my way home from training when I lived up north,” says Caitlin.
Caitlin is a member of the Fight Club Fitness Centre in Nelson and has been training with former women’s national boxing champion, Dawn Chalmers, five mornings a week and boxing trainer Suds Karki during the evenings. She also manages to fit in another two boxing sessions on the weekend.
“Dawn is such a motivation and inspiration, it definitely helps having her in my corner, she has a lot of faith in me which helps with my confidence quite a bit,” says Caitlin.
The Aquaculture Technician will be fighting in the under 58kgs weight and is both nervous and excited about her first bout, against seasoned fighter, Cushla Mullany from Christchurch. Despite her opponent already having four fights under her belt, she is confident in her fitness and training and feels that she has nothing to lose. “Caitlin is a hard worker, is dedicated, a good listener, is very motivated and has natural skills. I am confident in her, she has done everything she needs to do to get into the ring,” says boxing trainer Suds.
The Night of Wrecking 16, will be held on Saturday, April 25. Doors open at 5.30pm. Tickets are $40 and available at The Fight Club Fitness Centre, 49 Collingwood St, Nelson.
