Hey everybody and welcome to episode 3 of the best side podcast and the we catching up with the Sam it up, you know this time around and I'll tell you what if you have got any teenagers in your life or even children. You don't like young kids like 18 year olds. I'm telling you you want to play this podcast in the presence of those guys because some of the knowledge that this guy is passing on some of the things he was talking about. I'd really think that's going to To resonate with a lot of our youth especially of course is going to be all sorts of Jim's about ways we can help out everybody. But I know that the road went through a lot as a kid through a conversation, you know, giving up things like the party life and alcohol and what not to focus on the bigger picture and that was to be a professional boxer are not only did he complete that goal, but he became a champion so he went from someone who didn't know what he wanted to be. He just didn't want to be something stink to be in a championship athletes, of course. You going to have some awesome takeaways from this one here. It is financed and I coulda everything happens for a reason. This is the best side podcast. So I'm seeing with our Peter born and raised in time Mikey more fun of from walking up north and I'm an Xbox or each professional boxer sweet bro. So let's dive into I guess first of all your upbringing. Can you kind of take us back to say five-year-old you what was the five-year-old you like back in the day five-year-old me? I don't know I guess the same as any other way. We're old kid. I was just we lived in Phil and I don't know I love my children at all some children we didn't have much money but I didn't know any different, you know, I really enjoyed my whole upbringing did you have a lot of siblings and stuff or how does that all work? I'm actually the youngest teen kids. Typical Maori family was we've got a lot of brothers sisters, but a lot of them are older Jacobs that anyone is he's only a year older than me and everyone else is everyone else is older. And they have like like I share and my breath has been closed my older brothers whose when I turned 30 to 50 and he's got his own kids. Some of my brothers and sisters kids are older than me and I'm their Uncle which is weird letter and as it these all got the same parents or is it quite a bit of a mix of only me in jail about the same parents and other ones are God my mom had some kids in my brother and my daddy took its sweet and you think having a big Family played a big part in New York you hide out? Like I love you in a big family here. I'm sure you do too. But Bob Marley family and like there's always lots of funny things and like I love that. Yeah, I know for like for my prospective bride having a lot of siblings at probably made us quite competitive. Do you reckon that played a part in use maybe not as much because of what you know, when I was born my brothers are said all grown up, but me Jacob with difficult putative, you know, you know, I like trying to beat him they also so what were some of the things you guys used to be? It over his kids wasn't just a bike race running race to the stuff. Yeah, this it typical stuff on Country. We live near a nice to the preemies traitor would go down the interest. All right see anything wrong with doing I don't want to happen. So just like I'm sure every sibling does. Yeah, so let's dive into that a little bit the umbrella would you say that you and Jake were pretty tight. Absolutely. He's my best friend. He's sweet. And so obviously that played a little part in your boxing which will probably get into a little bit later on but I've heard you talk as well. We were fortunate to be at the same event last week for the title. He'd Sue over there the Plymouth and you spoke a lot about how you didn't really have any direction and you knew you wanted to be something you just want to didn't want to be something stink how to do find that directional maybe tell us a little about the time when you didn't have any what were the things that You up to and now he's spending your time when you don't really have any direction. Well, I wasn't really wasn't really getting in trouble. I was but I just look for it. Now. I feel like I was just kind of I was just kind of just wasting what I don't know what I was doing. I was just kind of existing I wasn't I had no previous. I was just getting up and you know, just doing everyday things. It's not age your head no drive to do anything and you know, I don't know. A lot of people from their boat and I just I just felt I had look a bit now. I realize I had I had no reason to do anything. I just get up everything has to go through the motions and go to bed and it's what had she drove me to get involved in Fitness and boxing was was AIT was quite a negative thing, but my girlfriend at the time who is now my wife who wanted to explore friends. Wanted to beat me up. We always show shocked at the time and it kind of scared me into thinking you're bigger than here to head to foot. And so when enjoying the up a boxing gym and I started training and then I started really enjoying it and it feels like you should say I joined the gym interfere because I wanted to ask you to feel embarrassed or getting a Harding and and then I found I really loved it and I've Been Told they point out never been good at any sport of my life all because totally hope is always the last carnitine to get picked. I was always also never get picked to be on a team in likely they don't boxing all of a sudden out of nowhere like, you know, all my friends would be so surprised all people that I was friends with grow up will be so surprised our fans as good a because I T, I just clicked with to something clicked the me and I just was really good at it. And I originally thought ask him what he's won fight to so Walk around and tell people that I was a boxer but I had that one fine. I'm not coming in the first round and then I was just absolutely hooked. It was an amazing feeling of achievement not not hurting somebody but that, you know winning winning a fight that of work so hard towards even though I was over in a couple of minutes it was it was just an amazing feeling and I never stopped once or to a recently retired, but I you know, I just I was only going to have one fight minute. I just opened when I went to I was just awake. Can you remember like the first time that you stepped into a boxing gym or that you started boxing? Huh? Dad? Can you kind of remember that sort of? Yeah I can and and I was still fresh in my mind, you know, I walk in and I'm nervous and I'm thinking around. Well sir. I was it is that a jam on it? Was it the best for your hospital? Okay, and I remember just kind of being really nervous and kind of scared you. It's what people must assume when they walk you walk in the door. Here they come. A German Town like a walking. I just assume it's going to be guys are covered in tattoos and like, you know, it's half the guys and it wasn't like that at all and it's definitely not like that here and I walked in and just as felt felt fine straight away and as a big difference when all the door but supposed to because he was a good disposition and they might all it's all these tough guys and all, you know, it's dangerous, but they come in and they feel really at home here and it's it's really A cool thing are you and that first lesson that you into was Jake with you then to know Jacob Jacob and I was story is we actually had started to get involved in boxing at the same time. And then we're doing like a text Brian game and we had these crappiest think loves it here just a little bit of leather covering your thumb and he would throw a punch and his thumb was going to open and I punched his thumb and Brokers and then so anyway, he carried on how Me get ready for my preparation. And then while he was recovering and in fact, he's really good at coaching and then there was the start of a long journey together and he was helping coach me through my career. So when you got first asked fight thought to take on a fight was it a yes straight away or did you need a bit of convincing or my I was one I asked you I asked the coach is ours if we keep put me in because I was just a bit but you know, I just Just I don't know I think training training was going good. And I was being overconfident maybe you know, I expect myself hundred percent. And so, you know, I was there there for my whole career. I've always just been myself in some happy with the way it's either. So when you started boxing what were some of the changes that you noticed, you know, you said that you kind of not up to much and you're pretty unmotivated you just existing you weren't living what were some of the changes you started just maybe looking back on it now, you probably don't notice them at the time being the kid but looking back. Some of the things that started to take place that you wouldn't even really aware of since he started to box, right? I am a big thing was just kind of prioritizing like, you know, like just making decisions on how that health is going to make me feel when I go to training needs day or you know in a couple of days, you know, like I was kind of big then I was just kind of like just get on the guest just for the sake of just for the sake of getting all the guests every weekend. I had no reason to your was it was going to pay her anything. It was just I just get tanked and so I definitely I sort of started looking more at what I was doing in my social time in how it was going to fit a fit training which was great for me. And I know it's a great thing for for all the guys that are involved in the sport because it's the sort of thing you cannot get away with, you know, living like that and still perform. Well, so it makes us have to clean up your egg health-wise which is which is great. I love thee So back to our use your relationship with your brother. Is there how has that been I guess with him being your coach and stuff is have been prison pretty crack up times where you guys have kind of nearly punched each other and stuff like that with different heads of hearing moment to anybody anybody who knows me to do your nose world, but we give them give each other crap whole time anyway, and and then just add the frustration in the kind of them deep emotional part things of boxing will being around each other when yeah, yeah. Being on top of they went on when I'm like white drained and water water loading and water cuttings are trying to make weight. And so, you know, I've been through some of the best eyes in some of the worst times with Jacob and we live here on each other sometimes well, it was always all good. You know Jake when I get over anything any problem with you here we would go over real quick the brothers love it totally made my brother go through it to ya wanna thank each other out and hug each other at the same time sometimes and that can be the most frustrating. I think they give it. What do you think makes them such a good coach? I think they like what he's developed over over the years. I think he's just got a really good way of China always bring in this the thing about boxing boxing is one with the basics and it's always about because so many guys come in and they see Floyd Mayweather drill this all these cool cool stuff and these are going to be way to just bring it back to the basics and just make you kind of just figure out what what what the plan is, you know, you've got a game people for you go in and just like you always Resort back to your Basics and basis ones fights boxing is so simple. It's so emotional in everything you you never remember your first fight because it's so many emotions going through but it's pretty simple as pretty pretty straightforward and when you kind of see things for what they are and which I feel idea was good at making you see see if what they are. It's a lot easier. So I think he's really good at the as a real sounds like from what you're saying. He's just got a real logical way of looking at things. Absolutely. Yeah. Jay was very good at teaching skills and just in like just making sure you doing it ticking all the boxes of everything properly in usually works out better than a would if you didn't my experience with them, obviously, I've been lucky to be coached by the peer review when I did my own corporate flight as well and obviously come to the gym every now and then the train with you guys. It's I think he's a lot more observant than what people might give them credit for a yeah, he pays attention to the little things because some things I think kind of I just say off the cuff or whatever but then flipping for six weeks later. He'll bring it up again and use it on me. I'm like, are you actually listening and you probably had a lot of that with him to track your life together speaking of family, bro. How obviously you know, you've got all these titles and you've done some pretty mess of things and probably one of the big things to happen in your life is becoming a dead how has that affected? The I guess how did Sam the father fix them the boxer? I've been really lucky because my wife Jesus is really supportive. And whenever I needed to be something for training or head to or you know, I drop everything and do whatever preparation required. She always supported me in doing the a hundred percent. And so I was really lucky, you know, like it's it takes a lot of your time anybody has been evolved as Port knows. It takes all your time in. It just made it made it possible for me to do those things and You know, I always knew that the kids are always well looked out there and she's she's done everything in your power to make just make it as easy for me as possible. So I know there's going to be a lot of people listening who do better with it. You know, I've been inside an IQ. For example, we have a lot of rig workers who work away who spend time being away from their family other sports people with what younger kids who are coming up and wanting to do all sorts of different things. So, how did you make it work? Obviously only because I know you miss your kids when your way to go away for Stuff how what were some things that maybe you and Jess or perhaps yourself just put in place to make it a little bit easier. I guess when I was at home like Reason why weeks is because when I was away because for a long time, you know, my most weekends are for five years old being open. So I looking open 447. All right said come on Sundays. And so when I'm home again because I was living a healthy lifestyle wasn't in the out getting getting drunk or anything or video. I didn't have a huge social life all my time with it. Does that work after work hard train I dressed and then on We can go together open and train and it was my life for five years only and and so that it's helped me there because they are just I dropped the social side of my life and I don't regret that. I've there's no way I would have achieved what I did if I if I hadn't yeah, so we talked about some of your message challenges that you've persevered through obviously been away from far. No being why wouldn't see being bullied, but I guess that first incident of getting caught About how did that happen by the way that follow because this is before social media. So it's not like he called you out on Facebook do just straight ring you up that he come back over to your house. How did that follow call you out and just really back in the day or rumors were going around and then I don't even know how he got my number and even over herself and we didn't want to comment but years of real my phone and just took the tough-guy thing and Richard being you know, like it's a tie. Is a worst thing they could all such a horrible situation and I was totally you know, I was really soft who did solo. It was such a horrible thing for me and enriches because I could see it was it was it was totally guided me in a different direction for my life and ask you is actually the beginning of real of an awesome part of my life. Awesome great journey for me. And you know, I favor saw the dude now, I'd go shake his hand and because they're instance not thinking but loads. You know, like you know, I've got no I've grown so much since then and I don't go for the whole thing. You know, it's photograph weeks and funny way sometimes and just attend to something incredible. Do you think that's kind of a common theme of life that these things that appear to us that can scare us will be a bit of a challenge. It's actually something there knocks us on the right path. Christine Hunter sees everything here is very even reason not to believe there and you know, You know, I just think it's so true. Just the man of times is here. Then things happened to me and I thought you know sustenance think heaven and then I think what are the heaven and then you know years like the movie years later or real alternate. I realized man, that's exactly what they are. But you know their leads us and leads us and it'll all everything always works out. Now, I believe in karma to in the everything always works out sweet man, then was talked about, you know people in the Being tough guys and obviously your perseverance and stuff like that is kind of made. You just haven't played a big part of your boxing and just because you do whatever it takes you never give up. How was that when it came to actually retiring was that a big mental hurdle for you? It was was and I like I retired and 2017 and then a year later. I came out of retirement with like a lot of boxes do which was a mistake a rich because it was a mistake. You know, I shouldn't have was just a retired. Right, but again, you know, there's suddenly my comment wait you already already know that it looks into something for me? Because if I had a what if we had a won that fight if we hadn't won that fight, I I realize afterwards I realized because I told him one day I'm going to come in here one more foot. And then I realize now if I had a 100 wouldn't have stopped until I had a lost anyway, and so not wanting their fight simply pick the retirement, but it saved me from Going on in potentially damaging myself freezer. So everything's worked out fine. I'm from almost like a and I'm happy with I regret nothing a lot of Fighters very like I'm not going to say I am a fighter, but I'd observe a lot and I see some stuff. You can correct me if I'm wrong. Absolutely, but from what I've seen a lot of Fighters when they do take an hour, and they do take a loss. It really really affects them. Would you say that was the case with you when you when you have taken your losses? Absolutely. Aye aye. Nobody likes losing I realized is easy and you know proxies a sport is you know that you put everything into it. And so the come up short is painful. But like I say, I regret nothing, you know, but Lisa was a loop from boxing. I don't regret those losses are here head and you know, like we just dust off and we just carry carry on ticking along because you know, what, can you do? Officer clubs and then you just keep keep keep the job done. Anyway. Yeah, and like like I said man, like I kind of just gather that it was tough because there's been times when I've seen you after a fight and it's like man, I want to go and hug him a little nuts all good. But it's giving off The Wider World via to keep away just let him go through it and stuff. So I want you to kind of think through those times when you have kind of I just feel like of a better term being been in a bit of a pit when you kind of found a bit down after a loss or whatever. There's someone out there is listening right now. Who's kind of feeling that same emotion, what would your advice be? To them in this moment in time. I think like just don't don't jump into any decisions or anything quickly because emotions are so powerful, you know, like it's really easy to make emotional decisions or or even react something emotionally if we're talking about on the on the night of Heavens if you talk about any decisions, I think these emotions are so high and just like you time to just chill out and just Did it sink in and let it simmer a little bit and Nene Nene you think with us here? Then we are looking back. Oily sometimes up my something something something something something decisions because I was just too hasty. Everybody knows me knows I'll just jump into everything too deep and I so so did we sometimes in my life that I would think Joe? I'll show you take a little more time think with a little bit of clearing. Torments and moving away from boxing now or not moving away from above from your own career now into more a teaching guiding mentorship role. What are you up to these days my name of the gym with Jacob and Jacobs the arrows of the gym is Jacob does a lot of the school working T teachers the boys how to fight and I am big on the conditioning sort of things in mental strength side because those are things Carry me along way in boxing was was was my fitness and my toughness and money more mental fortitude. So I'm all I'll bring it to the table for the boys. Mr. Jacobs skill with you those with them some things are winning combination. And what do you think people should get involved with boxing? I think they should get involved with image of boxing because it's safe was of convert sport is you evolved, you know, like when I think beat so I hear r63 amateur fights and you know, I never really I never really got her and I learned so much from it so much about you. Basically just what you need. You get out what you put in and just we can had prose is different poses different, you know, like images is hit and don't get hit. It's like fencing with gloves on its head and don't get it. We're Pros is people pay money because they want to see blood they want to see ghosts viewed each other. So All right charge people of all sorts of Ages to try amateur boxing and give involved on the side side of it. You lose so many good things to learn all the way on your journey, but prose is a different killer fish. I don't condemn it at all. But I just say it's not for everybody. It's not for everybody. Thank you very much for joining me, boo. All good. Nice tip on see tomorrow. That simple sewed three from the B-side podcast with sambar Peter. As I said at the beginning of the episode make sure you show it to any youth especially teenagers that you might have in your life as the guy described how he navigated going through adolescence wanting to focus on the bigger picture and getting away from those distractions of you know, romance and alcohol and all these sort of things that can come up and distract us as kids and kind of get us away from from the ultimate plan. So make sure you show them. That one we still got plenty more episodes in the tank. So make sure you do stay tuned if you're listening to us on Spotify iTunes into a now available on overcast Google podcasts all that stuff. Please make sure I Heart Radio we're on need. So please make sure you do leave us a review. Even if you following us on Facebook if you're not yet. Make sure you check us out on Facebook also on Instagram to give us a follow give us a review and then we would love to hear from you guys. So you can also leave messages for us here. 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Being a champion in anything is a long journey and requires a lot of commitment. Whilst a lot of sports receive a lot of support, others are breaking new territory and are yet commanding the financial backing thats needed to propel the sport and its contenders into the necessary spotlight to maximise their opportunities. Enter: Sam Rapira Alongside his family (Brother, Jake. Mum, Tich and Wife, Jess) Sam has created an everlasting legacy that spills out from within the boxing ring into the community of New Plymouth and Taranaki that will never die. Not only did Sam have 70+ amateur fights before turning pro and hold multiple NZ titles but with the aid of his support network and the boxing community he was his own promoter - promoting every fight that he had in Taranaki. Often mistaken for his Rugby League cousin - Sam, Jake and their co-owned boxing gym do regular charity work for the community and SPCA. Organizing food banks for the winter months and Christmas Season. - How to turn negatives to positives  - How the threat of violence can change your life and - How to make the most out of working with family As we all know, life can smash you over and knock you out so who better to share with us the ways of getting back up? Push play ya egg 