“But we still got two [golds] out of three. It’s exciting.
“This was Izi’s fourth national title and, hopefully, the first of many for Xavier.”
In March, Parkes represented New Zealand at the World Boxing Youth Futures Cup in Bangkok, Thailand.
The Whanganui association includes clubs from Whanganui, Marton and Bulls.
Tofa said Canterbury and Auckland dominated the medal table, with about 230 boxers taking part.
Isabella Parkes with coach Mike Foley after winning her fourth national title.
“Accommodation was pretty full everywhere, even the campgrounds.
“One Auckland association stayed in Marton, and our coach Brendon Lawrence saved the day for Palmerston North by putting them up at his house.”
Tofa and her husband Eddie Tofa, the association’s president, run Rivercity Boxing Gym.
They put on the national amateur championships in Whanganui twice in 2022, due to Covid-19 rescheduling.
“Our coaches were fantastic help, but a lot of it was our family,” she said.
“We had grandchildren running to send the results to the announcer, who was our daughter-in-law. The teenage grandchildren ran the tuck shop.”
The association organised a corporate boxing night in August to raise funds for the nationals.
At the time, Eddie Tofa said “everything is double” compared to the 2022 nationals.
“We need two rings this time, and two doctors. Each doctor is $6000 by themselves.”
Sandra Tofa said the couple planned to step back from running big events, which required a lot of work “without a big team of boxers”.
“We’re getting older, but we’ll keep running the gym for the next few years.
“Eddie and I complement each other. He’s got strengths I haven’t got, and I’ve got strengths he hasn’t got.
“We make a good team.”
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.