After starting at a young age and developing a love for the sport, she stepped away from the ring for four years before recommitting to boxing in July this year.
She then decided to put everything into training with her dad and soon after Anderson secured an audition bout at Nuki’s Gym in Taupō, which led to her fighting in the National Championships in Porirua.
At the championships, Anderson faced three opponents over three days, winning each fight and securing her crown as the 2025 women’s welter weight (65kg) national champion.
Soon after winning the belt, Anderson was on her way to Australia on short notice to compete in the First Nations Boxing Championships in Brisbane, followed by the Queen of the Ring competition in Perth a week later.
In Brisbane, Anderson went up against Australia’s Ciara Storch, a southpaw, a day after arriving in the country.
Jet-lagged, suffering from a headache and not accustomed to Queensland’s sticky heat, Anderson lost the fight.
“It was a good, tough fight - just didn’t come away with the win,” she said.
But just four days later, she was off to Perth to fight again and ready to win.
“Losing that fight taught me a lot,” she said.
“It took all my nerves away. Taught me to just get in there, get the job done, because I was trying to think too much when I was fighting.”
Arriving at the Queen of the Ring, Anderson meant business, so much so that about 40 seconds into her 65kg bout against Australian Kailee Mallard, the referee stopped the contest, securing her the belt.
But one win wasn’t enough for Anderson.
The next day she was back at the competition to take on Australian Gemma McDonnell in the 70kg category, where just like the day before, she secured a first round knockout and won another belt.
“I just wanted to make a statement, so don’t give me s**t opponents,” she said.
She also won a belt for best overall boxer at the competition as voted for by the judges.
Now back in Tūai with three championship belts around her waist, Anderson has a few amateur bouts lined up before she trials for the Commonwealth Games in December, the next stepping stone to her long-term goal.
“I want to go to the Olympics. That’s my goal,” she said with laser focus.
“I want to be a world champ in the Olympics and then go pro.”
She’s now training every day, morning and night with her dad at the Lake Waikaremoana Community Centre, which she loves.
“I love it because we can talk about things, we can laugh about things, and it’s not always serious,” she said.
“It’s cool, and good to have our own space.”
Jack Riddell is a multimedia journalist with Hawke’s Bay Today and has worked in radio and media in the UK, Germany, and New Zealand.
