08/03/2025
Incredibly proud of this young woman! 💥 Mere has been nominated for Junior Female Athlete of the Year in two sports—boxing and AFL! She is the reason I started teaching boxing in the first place.
When I was living on the Coral Coast, I searched for a boxing gym to train. In Fiji, you don’t rely on Google Maps—you rely on the people. Eventually, someone led me to Butterfly Boxing Club, a small, family-run gym where they share the little they have to offer free training to local kids, including their own. That’s where I met Mere.
We connected instantly and began training together every day. As a young woman in a male-dominated sport, she faced constant challenges but never backed down. We traveled for hours to Suva for competitions, only to arrive and find no opponent for her to fight. Disappointed but never defeated, she would glove up the very next day and get straight back to work.
Lewa, your dedication and resilience will take you far. Keep showing up, keep putting in the work. Let your hard work speak for itself—the rest will follow. 💯