Fighting for our community

FOUR Quality Roading and Services staff will be in the ring at next weekend’s Fight for Life helping raise money for Wairoa Boxing Club and the community.

The much-anticipated event on Saturday 1 April features QRS staffers Jared Spence, Kingston Taulapapa, Trent Zeilstra, and Arnold Smith. The event is sold out and as training begins to wind down each QRS fighter is a mix of excited and nervous ahead of their individual bouts.

Weighing in at 94kg Jared Spence wants to put on a good show during his three two-minute rounds and is grateful for the opportunity. “I’ve always enjoyed watching the sport and so I thought, I will give it a go.”

Just a few days out he’s feeling more comfortable in the ring. “Cardio is key. If you can fight as well in the second and third rounds as you can in the first round, then you are doing well.” The Fight for Life the organisers have created a very polished event, he adds. “I like how professional it all is, it’s a controlled environment and there’s no risk for the athletes. I hope it will be a good fight”.

Boxing training can change a youngster’s life for the better, say Wairoa Boxing Club trainers Moana Foster and Siobhan Storey. The mother-daughter combo has been involved in the sport of boxing for years, and also works at QRS.

Alongside chief coach Jamie Cox, the club’s committee members have for a long time understood that their role isn’t just about teaching kids sport. It’s also about nurturing them and teaching them that life is full of possibilities. “Participation in a sport like this is so good for our rangatahi. We’ve seen it over and over where a kid’s self-esteem is bolstered by getting down here every week and working as hard as they can,” says Siobhan.

QRS’s relationship with Wairoa Boxing Club goes back around seven years after it started sponsoring the club helping to ensure young athletes could continue coming to classes for free.

QRS operations manager Anthony O’Sullivan lives near the boxing club. He’s always impressed with the youngsters’ commitment.  “One day I was coming home and saw a whole group of young kids around here running. They knew they had to warm up before the boxing. What I did notice is that there were no adults telling them to run.”

“What they learn is discipline, respect, and they learn self-confidence. On behalf of QRS, it was a no-brainer for us to sponsor the boxing.”

The sold-out Fight for Life will be held at Wairoa Community Centre, Saturday 1 April 2023. Proceeds are being channeled to the Cyclone Gabrielle mayoral relief fund and Wairoa Boxing Club. 

24 March 2023

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