Far North world boxing champion Mea Motu will be among nine top Māori sports stars taking part in the M9, Te Ao Hākinakina - Sport, culture and politics event later this month, wanting to inspire the next generation.
Far North world boxing champion Mea Motu will be among nine top Māori sports stars taking part in the M9, Te Ao Hākinakina - Sport, culture and politics event later this month, wanting to inspire the next generation.
Far North world boxing champion Mea Motu knows what it’s like to go through difficulties and how hard it can be for Māori to excel in the world, despite having enormous potential and ability.
Now Pukepoto pugilist Motu is hoping to inspire the next generation of young Māori to strive and achieve as part of a platform designed to do just that.
Nine top Māori sports stars are taking part in the M9, Te Ao Hākinakina - Sport, culture and politics event later this month, wanting to inspire the next generation.
Hosted by Matai Smith and curated by Ria Hall, the other seven speakers are Tawera Nikau (Waikato), Jenny May Clarkson (Ngāti Maniapoto, Ngāti Kahu), Piri Weepu (Te Ātiawa, Whakatōhea, Ngāi Tahu), Dame Dr Farah Palmer (Ngāti Maniapoto, Waikato), Daniel Kereopa (Waikato), Honey Hireme-Smiler (Raukawa, Ngaati Hauaa, Ngāti whakaue) and Peter Cowan (Ngāti Kahungunu, Ngāti Tūwharetoa, Ngāti Kauwhata, Hāmoa).
Aotearoa is renowned for its contribution to national and international sporting stages and bringing communities together. To close off 2024 on a high, this instalment will platform nine elite athletes who will speak to their vast sporting experiences, discuss pivotal political sporting moments, and explore how being Māori has influenced and shaped their respective careers.
Pukepoto's Mea Motu, here too strong for Australia’s Shannon O'Connell in Sydney last month, is now ranked as the number two boxer in the world in her weight division.
Motu said her connection to her Māoritanga is a force of strength in her career, embedding her values of resilience and mana. This gives her courage to rise above adversity, face challenges head on, making her a fierce competitor on the world stage.
She hopes her achievements in boxing serve as a beacon of hope for young Māori and she wants M9 to inspire the next generation of Māori leaders.
M9 explores the dynamic intersection where sport, culture and politics collide. In this current political climate, sport continues to bring us all together with sport reflecting our society. Māori sportspeople constantly navigate these converging pathways, balancing what it means to be an elite athlete, and what it means to be Māori.
‘’I want to show our youth that it doesn’t matter if they are from a small town, it doesn’t matter where they are from, if they work hard, they can achieve their goals and dreams. With hard work and dedication, you can do it,’’ Motu said.
She said there are so many talented young people in Northland who just needed some guidance and help to reach their potential.
‘’There are times that you want to give up, but that’s when it’s time to talk to somebody to get help. But that seems to be the hardest thing to do for us, but it’s about not being ashamed and accepting that talking and asking for help and advice is what can get you through.
‘’There’s always somebody who can help you and you are not alone. Your mind tricks you into thinking that you are and that nobody can help, and your problems are your own, but getting help and support is what will work.’’
Nga Hoe Horo (Pawarenga) waka ama world champion Tupuria King is one of two Northland sports stars taking part in the M9, Te Ao Hākinakina - Sport, culture and politics event later this month.
Motu said that is what has helped her mental health.
‘’I used to think that counselling was a bad thing, but it’s a good thing and very supportive. I got counselling for my mental health struggles, and it really worked. I needed that help. It’s okay not to be okay, we can all feel like that at times, but it’s not okay to keep it all in and not seek help.’’
She credits her trainer Isaac Peach, from Peach Boxing, as having the biggest influence on her career and making her into a world-class fighter.
‘’He told me I could quit at any time I wanted, and he didn’t care if I did quit, he just wanted me to be the best person I could be, and he’s always been supportive. But I don’t quit, and I want to show the world what us Kiwis, what us Māori can do, that we can take on the best in the world and beat them. And the world is starting to take notice.
‘’This is a hard sport, and I want multiple world titles and anybody that stands in my way will pay the price.’’
On October 4 she made her Australian professional boxing debut, where she annihilated Australian legend Shannon O’Connell. Motu demolished her inside four rounds to move to 20-0 in her record, with eight knockouts.
Motu said O’Connell was a tough opponent, but didn’t know, until she felt it, how much power she was facing, with the Kaitāia brawler leaving her bloodied and broken.
Motu is now waiting for that unification fight and said she’ll take on anybody anywhere in the world to get those belts.
