‘Champion Mum Part 1’ Kathryn Dodd interviews Louisa Hawton published in Great Health Guide (Jan 2016). In Part 1 of this series get to know Louisa ‘Bang Bang’ Hawton, Australia’s very own World Champion Boxer. Be inspired by Louisa’s commitment as she shares her life of being both a mum and an elite athlete.
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IMPACT: Champion Mum Part 1
Kathryn Dodd interviews Louisa Hawton
Determination and commitment are two of the pillars evident in the life of a World Champion Boxer Louisa ‘BANG BANG’ Hawton. It was my pleasure to chat with Louisa and hear how this everyday woman rose to the highest honour – of representing Australia and being called a World Champion. In August 2016, Louisa became the World Champion of the World Boxing Organisation Light-flyweight Division and to this day remains undefeated after eight professional fights.
BE INSPIRED BY THIS INCREDIBLE WOMAN, ATHLETE & MUM.
Q: Of all sports why did you chose boxing?
A: I used to skateboard when I was younger, travelling and competing on the world circuit and I absolutely loved it. It was a sport that brought me a real buzz. Then after that, I met my ex-husband and we started a family which became the focus of my life. In the back of my mind I always knew that there was something else – and I went through times of feeling a bit lost. Honestly, I think a lot of mothers go through this when they are looking after a family. It’s as if a part of themselves gets left behind or pushed down. It was around this time my best friend invited me to a Thai Boxing gym and I just fell in love with it. From that moment I felt the buzz was back. I trained for about a month and then I went straight into my first competition fight. It felt like boxing ‘reparked me’; it brought back the fire within me.
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Q: What does it take to become a World Champion?
A: Sacrifice & priorities; there are a lot of things that I sacrifice. At the moment my life is focused on boxing and I don’t have a lot of time for much else. At 31, I’m not a ‘young adult’ so for me I have the pressure of time so I want to succeed to fulfil the things that I have built in my mind. I just want to commit 100%. I don’t get to see my friends a lot – I love them and I miss them – but I’m just really focused. I’m so glad that a lot of them understand what I’m doing.
Q: Is there a typical day in the life of a World Champ?
A:Yes. I get up at 5am, go for an 8km run and then back home to wake the kids and get them ready for school. Then after school drop offs and before lunch, I try to rest or do some promotional work and administration on the computer. I’ll cook, eat lunch and then have a training session in the afternoon to focus on my skills and technique. This generally isn’t a really heavy session. Then I pick the kids up from school and I’m back in the gym again for an evening session which is more intense – endurance work, on the bag, strength work or sparring. If it’s sparring, I have to travel to someone else’s gym and work with them. The evenings are for family and relaxing. All up, training is about 6 hours a day.
Q: How have your children benefitted by you being in sport?
A: I think it’s great for my kids to see a healthy role model. A lot of people think boxing is just fighting & hitting each other but there are so many lessons that boxing teaches. These include discipline, the healthy lifestyle, the goals, determination, mindsets, things that are invaluable and adaptable to life in every way. The children get to see me working really hard for what I want and that’s really important that they can take these lessons into their adulthood. I do think about it a lot – how to get the most out of what I’m doing. It is not just about being in the ring.
Q: How do you encourage your children to be active with you?
A: Sometimes they come for a run or do stair runs with me and sometimes they will put their gloves on and have a little hit – I’m happy to play with them. Sometimes they will join me doing sit-ups, push-ups and even squats. An idea for the readers is if they have young kids, put them on your back for extra weight. The kids love being involved and if you make it fun, they will want to do it every day.
Q: What are some things that a World Champ has in her pantry & fridge?
A: I always have a lot of fruit, (I love apples) and vegetables take up the most space. I also have a lot of water and coconut water. I love chilli which is great for metabolism and adds lots more flavour to a clean diet. In my pantry I have lupin flakes which I eat all the time because they are low in carbs, high in protein, magnesium and iron. Other staples in my pantry are tuna, brown rice and coconut. My diet is pretty clean and healthy, to maintain a lean body and to be ready for competitions.
Q: Considering you’re now a Women’s World Champion Boxer, what are your next steps?
A: The title that I won was the World Boxing Organisation Title which is one of the very top ones that you can compete against. There are about four top organisations and one day I would like to win each championship. For my career to be successful, it’s not just about winning competitions but also about being able to support my family through the sport. So even though I won the World Title, I guess in my own mind, the hard work really begins now. I would love to keep defending the World Title.
In the next issue of Great Health GuideTM, Louisa shares her mindsets that have led her to receive the honour of a being a World Champion Boxer.
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