Jono, Ben & Megan - The Podcast - New Zealand's Boxing World Champ Mea Motu On Her Crazy Life As A Parent!

Episode Date: July 23, 2023

We talk to the legend Mea Motu ahead of her upcoming fight in August!See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Miyamoto is going to be taking on Erin Simwaka Miyamoto is the WBO bantamweight champion And she joins us in the studio Now lovely to have you here Thank you Lovely to have you here I'm a big fan of yours

I first saw you on Sunday The program on TV Not just on Sunday In the weekend I've been following you Big fan You don't need a restraining order or anything on him But you're a true inspiration So it's lovely to meet you Thank you I've been following you. Big fan. Big fan. You don't need a restraining order or anything on him.

But you're a true inspiration, so it's lovely to meet you. Oh, thank you. Thanks for having me. One of the great New Zealanders you are. Yeah. Grew up up north, right? Yes. In a small town up north. Bukiporo.

Yeah. How many people there? A handful of people. It's the sort of town where you can ride around on a horse? Yeah. Yeah. Paddocks for days. Paddocks for days.

And so what led you to boxing? So originally my mum, because I was playing soccer and I did it for fitness, I kind of stuck at it. And I was kind of like, oh, I'm pretty good at it. Let's just have fun. But I never took it seriously until now. Yeah, well now you're the WBO Bantamweight champion. Yeah.

What's Bantamweight? Like I'm very confused with the weight classes. I don't want to shame anyone's weight either. Yeah, no, Super Bantam is 55.3 kgs. You're 55 kgs? Yeah. Now, I don't want to delve too much into your personal life, but your ex-partner is in prison?

Yes. Yes, and you're raising your kids. And how many do you have? I have five kids. Five kids. And solo mum? Yes, solo mum how many do you have? I have five kids. Five kids. And solo mum? Yes, solo mum. How do you fit all the training, the school drop-offs, everything?

My number one support is my family and my sister. My baby sister, she helps me and I live with her. Yeah, and especially during the winter months because we have kids, they're just sick. Just a little travelling disease. Yeah, they get bugs and all sorts. I'm lucky that my sister or my mum will help, but it's always been my family, my aunties.

They always support and they've always looked after my kids. They just lock it in no matter what. So I imagine you're up first thing in the morning training. Yeah, what's the training? How long is the training? We train in the morning. It's probably like an hour, So before the school drop-offs. Yeah, all right.

Yeah. So you get up first thing. Yeah. You've trained and then you're back to give the kids breakfast and lunch. And school drop-offs. Yeah. And then I'm off to work. Oh, so you've got a job as well.

Yeah. Then you pick the kids up from school. Yeah. And is there training at night? Yes, there's training at night. Relentless schedule. I know. It's crazy.

Yeah. I don't know how I do it sometimes. I don't know how I do it sometimes. I don't know how you do it either. A fight's probably like a nice break for you from everything else going on. When I'm actually fighting, that's where I feel peace. It's the only time I don't worry about my kids. No female boxers won more New Zealand titles than yourself. So does that add more pressure when you walk into the ring? Because people are expecting you to win.

No. Just want to achieve the best that I can do to prove to my kids that it doesn't matter what age you are, you can still be great. Age is just a number to me. Yeah. That's what I say. That's great to say to two old guys in their 40s. That's inspirational to us.

You know, two beaten up, old washed up broadcasters. See, it's because you're speaking that over you. You're never too old. Because I look at all my teenage kids. I can like run just as fast as them. My mentality's way stronger than the younger ones. That was bloody inspirational.

That was good. I'm going to start boxing. Shall I start boxing? Whatever you want to do. Whatever you're good at. Whatever you want to do. Whatever you're good at. It might be your thing. But yeah, as John said, not delving too much into your person,

but obviously a relationship that wasn't the best. Yeah. And that's putting it very lightly as well. What would you say to people who are in relationships that aren't the best? We're looking back when that was going on. Don't be scared. Don't be ashamed. The biggest thing for us,

for me when I was back in that relationship, I was too ashamed because I felt like I was a failure because I was like, I don't want to tell my family, so I'm too scared. Don't let that abuser build fear in you. Build the courage and just speak to anybody. Don't talk to one person. Talk to multiple people because then that abuser is trapped. Yeah, right. because they want to silence

you yeah and it's such a conflicting thing i imagine for you because you're like i also love this person yeah you think you do you're stuck in their world yeah so you're so trapped and you're so tunnel vision you can't see outside the box you know i was living under his fear because he would say don't don't tell anyone so i'd listen instead of being like, no, speak to people. But thinking that if one person can't help you, that's why you speak to multiple because someone will help you. Mate, you are an inspiration. A very brave person.

As we said at the beginning of this, one of the great New Zealanders. Congratulations on all your success, both professionally and personally as well. Thank you. It's a lot to take on and you're going to be taking on Aaron Simwaka, August 26th at Event Finder Stadium. This is your first title defence.

Yes. And where to now? What's the goal? What's the end goal for you? My end goal is to collect all the belts. How many are there? There's five in total. I've got one, so I've got four to go.

I want to be undefeated, undisputed. That's the goal. And I will have it. Miyamoto, what a lovely, what a champion.