“I was living in Feilding and biked to Palmerston North every morning, did three back-to-back classes, then biked home and kept training.”
After nine months, she began competing in boxing, Muay Thai, MMA (mixed martial arts) and Jiu-Jitsu, but a bad concussion led to a two-year recovery.
It was then that alcohol began playing a bigger part in her life, Drinnan said.
“After I stopped training and moving my body so much, all that grief from my husband came up.
“Over the years, I’ve gone backwards and forward to [combat sports] as a coach, and always got good results, but I couldn’t stop drinking.
“It was wrecking me. It got to the point where I knew alcohol was the one thing stopping me from moving forward in my life.”
Drinnan moved to Whanganui and got sober. She will be two years alcohol-free on March 7.
“It’s the best thing I’ve ever done for myself, but also the hardest,” she said.
“The thing that got me here was courage. The courage to face my s***, get out of my own way and do the thing that’s been on my heart for a long time.”
Drinnan will begin her new venture with a free trial week, running introductory classes for children and adults.
Class numbers are capped at 10.
“I know what it’s like to compete. You really need a coach who says ‘You’ve got more than that’,” she said.
“But not everyone is like that. Some people just want an outlet and a bit of fun, something new.
“Obviously, I’m not going to approach them the same as fighters.”
In addition to coaching boxing, Muay Thai and MMA, Drinnan offers strength and conditioning, rehabilitation and mobility-specific training.
“Being a woman can be hard in this industry, but I’m f***ing good at what I do.
“Training saves my life. It’s also the connections you make through it and what you learn about yourself.
“My gym is a space for everybody. Except time wasters.”
Drinnan said her first coaches, Stew and Tasha Chambers from The Fight Shop, had been instrumental in her development.
She wanted to take what she learned from them “and add my own flair”.
“I will forever be grateful for them and for what they’ve instilled in me.
“Coaching kids, adults and fighters is what I do. But this time, I’m doing it on my own.
“It’s terrifying but that’s just the other side of excitement.”
More information can be found on the Panthers Den Martial Arts & Fitness Facebook page.
Mike Tweed is a multimedia journalist at the Whanganui Chronicle. Since starting in March 2020, he has dabbled in everything from sport to music. At present his focus is local government, primarily Whanganui District Council.
