Champion boxer Mea Motu gets real about what motivates her in the ring, how her kids saved her life, and why she won’t stay silent on domestic abuse.

*Content warning: Contains discussions of domestic violence and suicide.

Watch the video version of the episode here.

Mea Motu is a world champion boxer, but before she even got into the ring as a professional, she had to fight for her own life.

Mea Motu escaped an abusive relationship, which went on for years leaving her homeless at times and fearing for her life.

She's boxed with a broken rib, a dislocated shoulder and asthma, all the while raising five children and speaking out about domestic violence and mental health.

Mea only started her professional boxing career in 2020. Now she's a world champion. She tells Guyon Espiner how she’s done it.

“Just hard work and hard dedication. A lot of sacrifice. But also, I've had a lot of support with family.

“The biggest support is my gym, and my coach and his wife [Isaac and Alina Peach] who have backed me, supported me, believed in me, and invested in me.”

Winning the World Title in 2023 with a broken rib - and not telling her coach beforehand.

“No! I was scared that he might pull me out of the title and reschedule me. And this was my one-shot opportunity, and I didn't want to lose that.

“It was a big challenge. It was very mental. It was really trying to hold myself together, finding certain positions to work around and not get hit there. I did get hit there.

“But also, just embracing the punch and trying to attack with it. So, it was very hard and difficult. I didn't find it easy, but I luckily had the guidance of my cornermen.”

Defending the World Title with a dislocated shoulder

“The belief of [my] cornerman and my coach [enabled me to win.] He just knows what to say. He knows how to intuit me and make me believe I know who I am and what I'm fighting for.

“And he knows how to really just grab my attention and be like, ‘are you OK?’

“He checks that I'm OK no matter what. Every time I come back. ‘Are you OK?’ And I'm like, ‘yes.’ ‘Anything hurting?’ And I'm like, ‘yes.’

“And then he'll find a strategy of how we can get through it. He knows us inside and out. That's his job as a coach.

“It's really mental. The physical is the easiest.

“It's the mental, like, really listening and really being in tune with your coach and knowing and believing what he's about to say…

Go to this episode on rnz.co.nz for more details