Siona Fernandes
Siona Fernandes is an Olympic boxer. She is also an academic currently pursuing her Doctoral studies.

Siona started her amateur boxing training in 2010 and became the first female boxer representing New Zealand at the Olympic games in London, 2012. Her athleticism stems from more than a decade of intense physical training in the Indian classical dance style of ‘Bharathanatyam’. Currently, as New Zealand's Olympic ambassador, Siona is actively involved in educating the youth on understanding the Olympic values.

Siona holds a double master’s degree, one in Psychology (India) and the other in Sport and Exercise Science (New Zealand). Siona was awarded an academic scholarship (Australia) to pursue her research interest in migrant population health(2018).

In 2014, Siona received an honorary award for her accomplishments as a Goan in sport by the Lusifonia Games Organizing Committee, India. In 2017, she was nominated as Educator of the Year at New Zealand’s Exercise Industry awards for supporting exercise and health professionals in a lecturing and presenting role. In 2018 she was the honorary recipient of the Indian Newslink Sports & Community Awards for her sporting achievement and contribution to the Indian community.

Motto
to inspire a generation

Achievements
 2018 – Honorary recipient of the Indian Newslink Sports & Community Awards, New Zealand Indian Sport Association, New Zealand.
 2017 – Nominated Educator of the Year, Exercise Industry Award, New Zealand.
 2015 – Awarded ‘Post Graduate Scholar of the Year’ in Sport and Exercise, Auckland University of Technology, New Zealand.
 2014 – Honorary award recipient, Lusifonia Games Organizing Committee,Goa, India
 2008 – Trained in the infantry and a combat medical technician for the New Zealand territorial defense force

Early life in India
Siona was born on November 13th 1982, in Ribandar, Goa, India. She studied at Our Lady of the Rosary High School in Dona Paula. At age 7, her mother enrolled her to learn the Indian classical dance form of Bharatanatyam, at the Kala Academy, Goa. After graduating with a Bachelor's in Performing arts, she was awarded a national scholarship for advanced dance studies. She also represented Goa in many state-level basketball tournaments and was named among the Basketball probables for the Asian school basketball games in 1998. 

At age 15, she left her home in Goa to be under the tutelage of the renowned Bharatnatyam Guru/Professor. M.R. Krishnamurthy (Kittu Sir) in Bangalore, India. In 2005 Siona gave her first on-stage public performance (Arangetram) to confer the title as the ‘disciple’ of Guru. M.R. Krishnamurthy. It was her Guru who molded her values for discipline, hard-work, and education. Siona went on to complete her Master’s in Psychology at the Bangalore University, India, before her family relocated to New Zealand in 2006.

Career

Sport & Exercise
Siona has worked in the sport and fitness industry for more than a decade. From 2009 until 2017, She worked as a personal trainer and group fitness instructor at Les Mills world of fitness, Auckland New Zealand. 
Siona is currently NZ’s Olympic Ambassador, actively involved in educating the youth on understanding the Olympic values.

Academia
Siona is currently pursuing her research interest in the area of migrant population health.

External links
 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/goa/Lusofonia-Games-organizing-committee-wants-Siona-for-closing/articleshow/29137979.cms
 https://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/more-sports/others/Goans-have-immense-potential-says-Olympian-Siona/articleshow/29016712.cms
 Cover story for Activity and Nutrition Aotearoa-connecting people and knowledge
 Featured New Zealand Olympic ambassador for New Zealand’s Olympic Ambassador Programme to empower youth through sport
 Cover story --Namaste New Zealand: Streamed on TVNZ OnDemand
 Featured story NZ herald- newspaper cover story