Tauranga hairdresser and boxer Ariane Nicholson is competing at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Photo / NZME
Ariane Nicholson was watching a corporate fight night bootcamp at her local gym in 2014 when she thought she might like to take up the sport.
Now, eight years later, the Tauranga hairdresser is Commonwealth Games-bound and set to compete in the U70kg division.
After taking up the sport to lose a bit of weight, the 38-year-old has three national titles and two international titles.
"After I had a couple of corporate boxing fights I discovered a passion for the sport, and after my coach Chris [Walker] asked me to join the competition classes training, the rest is history. I was hooked."
Nicholson has been on Boxing New Zealand's selector's radar since her 2018 National title decider against repeat champion Deanne Carpenter-Read.
In early 2019, the Tauranga Boxing Club representative was called to represent New Zealand at the Arafura Games in Darwin, Australia and won.
"Winning the gold medal in Darwin made me even more determined to go as far as I can in the sport."
In August 2019 she received a late call-up to the Super Eight series in Adelaide, winning three bouts in three days to take the title.
Nicholson missed out on selection for the 2020 Tokyo Olympic Games but said she was "delighted" to be donning the silver fern again at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.
She and the other Kiwi boxers attended a pre-games training camp in Ireland last week.
"I still have moments that I have to pinch myself. It's been an incredible journey to get here and the games haven't even started yet. I am looking forward to checking into the village and taking it all in," she said.
Nicholson said there were a "range of emotions", from excitement to a bit of nervousness.
"Someone once told me that the feeling of nerves is the same as excitement, and I always remember that when I have butterflies in my stomach.
"I'm pretty sure the boxing comp starts on July 30, but we won't know who I will fight against until the draw is done closer to the time. But I'm definitely excited and ready for whoever will be in front of me.
"It's about taking it one fight at a time. My expectation is that I perform at my best and ideally that leads me to the podium."
Coach Chris Walker from TGA Box Health and Fitness said Nicholson's "remarkable" success was down to her drive, passion for the sport, and her commitment to her goals.
Walker said most people took up the sport as teenagers, making Nicholson's path different.
"There is an age cut-off point in amateur boxing which is 40, which means Ariane only has a small window of opportunity to compete at the Commonwealth Games. I'm rapt for her that she was selected, and so proud of her achievements."
Walker said even though Nicholson's weight class included the current Olympic Games bronze-medalist and competitors with more international exposure, "Ariane is still a real medal prospect".
"She's gutsy and a very determined boxer with a strong build, lots of resilience and strength. She's also very well organised and disciplined in terms of her training regime.
"It depends on how she feels on the day, who she is drawn against and some other variables ... But she won't go down without a fight."
The Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games will be held between July 28 and August 8 and feature the largest Para-sport programme to date, with eight Para-sports.
Women's cricket T20, basketball 3x3, wheelchair basketball 3x3 and mixed synchronised diving will also debut in Birmingham.
Around 4500 athletes are expected to participate in 280 finals across 20 sports representing 72 countries and including about 20 athletes from the Bay of Plenty region.
New Zealand Team Chef de Mission Nigel Avery said the athletes were looking forward to arriving and showing what they were capable of.
"It's go-time for us now, and our team can't wait to get to Birmingham and get stuck into competing," he said.
"We've been working hard behind the scenes to create an environment which allows our athletes to perform to the best of their abilities in Birmingham.
"We saw some inspiring results from the New Zealand Team at the last Commonwealth Games on the Gold Coast and we're looking forward to creating further history in Birmingham."
Jayden Bezzant
Sport: Men's 3x3 Basketball
Born: 1996 in Hamilton, lives in Tauranga
This is Bezzant's first appearance at a Commonwealth Games, as 3×3s is a new sport for the games.
Originally from Tauranga, Bezzant attended St John's College in Hamilton before playing college basketball for Northwest Nazarene University in the United States. Bezzant returned to New Zealand and played for the Manawatu Jets in the 2020 Sal's NBL showdown.
Gerald Brouwers
Sport: Para B2-B3 Mixed Pair Lawn Bowls
Born: 1953 in Katikati
Brouwers will make his Commonwealth Games debut in Birmingham, competing alongside Sue Curran.
Having lost his sight a decade ago, he wanted to get back into playing sport as he had played rugby throughout his life, and lawn bowls opened up new opportunities for him.
Leroy Carter
Sport: Rugby Sevens
Born: 1999 in Tauranga
Carter played NPC for Bay of Plenty and was a member of the New Zealand Under 20 team in 2019. He was part of all of the All Blacks Sevens domestic tournaments in 2021, and made his international debut in Singapore this year scoring seven tries across his first four tournaments.
This will be his Commonwealth Games debut.
Tarryn Davey
Sport: Women's Hockey
Born: 1996 in Morrinsville, lives in Te Aroha
Hailing from Thames Valley, Birmingham will be Davey's second Commonwealth Games after winning gold at the Gold Coast Games in 2018. She participated in the 2018 Women's Hockey World Cup.
The Black Sticks defender is an exceptional athlete who regularly tops the physical tests and always looks to provide an attacking option out of defence.
Frances Davies
Sport: Women's Hockey
Born: 1996 in Tauranga
A member of the gold medal-winning team at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games, Davies will look to help her team defend their title in Birmingham.
The Tauranga defender is a quick and dynamic athlete who breaks the line coming out of defence with her ability to carry the ball. She also possesses a strong passing skill set which she has showcased in the European leagues this year.
Brad Fuller
Sport: Men's Beach Volleyball
Born: 1995 in Tauranga
Tauranga born-and-raised Fuller will make his Commonwealth Games debut at Birmingham 2022, teaming up with Sam O'Dea in the men's beach volleyball competition.
The pair teamed up before the 2021/22 domestic season and have already clocked up impressive results, including first place at the 2022 Australian Tour Finals.
Sarah Hirini
Sport: Women's Rugby Sevens
Born: 1992 in Fielding, lives in Pāpāmoa
The current Black Ferns Sevens captain has an impressive list of accolades to her name, including Sevens World Champion in 2013 and 2018, Olympic gold and silver-medallist, Commonwealth Games gold-medallist and six-time World Series winner.
In 2019 she became the first female player to bring up 200 matches in the World Series.
She was made a member of the NZ Order of Merit in 2019 and became the first woman to be awarded the prestigious Tom French Memorial Māori Player of the Year.
Ariane Nicholson
Sport: Boxing - U70kg division
Born: 1983 in Hamilton, lives in Tauranga
The fighter heads into the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games in solid form, having beaten the Australian number three at a mid-2022 invitational.
Known as the 'Princess of Pain', Nicholson is a hairdresser who began boxing in 2014.
She's a three-time NZ national champion in her division, and also won gold at the 2019 Arafura Games and the Super Eight Series the same year.
Birmingham 2022 will be the first Commonwealth Games for Nicholson.
Sam O'Dea
Sport: Men's Beach Volleyball
Born: 1990 in Tauranga
O'Dea won bronze alongside his brother Ben at the Gold Coast 2018 Commonwealth Games. The brothers dominated the bronze medal match against England to earn the podium spot as beach volleyball debuted at the Games.
He is back for the Birmingham 2022 Games, pairing up with Brad Fuller, also from Tauranga.
O'Dea has enjoyed multiple successes on an international level, winning the Asian Championships in 2011 and the Oceania Championships in 2015, as well as holding the national championship title from 2010 to 2015.
Suraj Singh
Sport: Wrestling- 57kg division
Born: 1999 in Tauranga, lives in Katikati
Singh has been a New Zealand Wrestling representative for many years and has significant national and international competition experience.
He represents the Katikati Wildcats Wrestling Team, with his most notable achievements on the competition mats including two gold medals at the 2019 Oceania Championships.
When not on the wrestling mats, Singh works in the family business.
Graham Skellern
Sport: Lawn Bowls: Para B6-B8 Men's Pair
Born: 1952 in Inglewood, lives in Matapihi
Skellern will be competing in his first Commonwealth Games in the Para Men's B6-B8 pairs with Mark Noble.
Skellern has been a strong bowler for many years, and is coached by Gayle Melrose. He travels around the country to play bowls, representing North Harbour.
His record of success in able-bodied bowls competitions includes winning 15 centre titles and countless club championships, including at Tauranga South Club.
He has won three New Zealand disabled titles in the last three seasons and was runner-up in the Australian Open Para pairs in June 2021.
Known as 'Scribe', Skellern has also had a successful career in journalism, getting the 'bowls-bug' after covering bowls at the 1982 Commonwealth Games in Brisbane.
Samuel Tanner
Sport: Athletes - Men's 1500m
Born: 2000 in Taupō, live in Papamoa Beach
Tanner is an Olympian, having competed in the 1500m at the Tokyo Olympic Games.
A national U20 record-holder in the 1500m and mile - his 1500m lifetime best of 3:34.72, set in Staten Island in February 2021, is a New Zealand senior indoor record and sits fifth on the all-time New Zealand ranking, which includes outdoor performances.
Coached by Craig Kirkwood and counting Olympic triathlon bronze-medallist Hayden Wilde as a training partner, Tanner is the reigning New Zealand national 1500m champion. He made the semi-finals at the 2022 World Athletics Championships.
Hayley Whiting
Sport: Weightlifting Women's 87kg
Born: in Ashburton, lives in Mount Maunganui
Birmingham 2022 is Whiting's first Commonwealth Games. Growing up in Ashburton, she loved sports from a young age.
She began doing CrossFit while at university, before switching her focus to weightlifting in 2016.
She has a personal best of 101kg in the snatch and recently broke the under 87kg New Zealand record for the clean and jerk, lifting 125 kg.
Now based in Mount Maunganui, she is coached by Ray Everest-Land, and trains out of Mount CrossFit and the Adams Centre for High Performance.
Hayden Wilde
Sport: Triathlon - Mixed Team Relay, Men's Individual
Born: 1997 in Taupō, lives in Tauranga
Wilde heads to Birmingham 2022 for his first Commonwealth Games off the back of a bronze medal for the men's individual triathlon at the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics.
It was New Zealand's first Olympic triathlon medal in 13 years. Career highlights also include first place at the 2021 XTERRA World Championships and second place in the 2021 Super League Triathlon Championship Series.
Nicknamed "The Falcon" due to his ability to attack from behind, Wilde did exactly that
earlier this month, winning the gold medal at the World Triathlon Championship Series race in Hamburg and elevating himself to the spot of series leader.
Originally from Whakatāne and raised in Taupō, Wilde lives and trains in Tauranga with Craig Kirkwood.
Source: www.olympic.org.nz
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