Sheppard ready to take on world

By Andrew Sanders

She's nicknamed Cyclone and she's ready to strike. But New Zealand, and indeed the world, doesn't need to baton down the hatches immediately.

Female kick boxer Petrina Sheppard has a two -fold problem. First there is a lack of opponents and secondly there's a lack of finance.

In New Zealand, there are women who kick box to keep fit but only 10 to 20 fight competitive bouts. As a result, Sheppard has fought only four times since she took up the sport 3 1/2 years ago. She has a win two loss record but the defeats were against opponents from heavier weight class.

In the 50kg division Sheppard's trainer Lollo Heimuli believes the Aucklander could become a champion. He should know. He has trained 45 international champions including Kiwi Ray Sefu.

"Of all the girls I have seen, she is the most dedicated," said Heimuli. "She could go all the way. She is very talented."

All the boxers at Heimuli's gymnasium have nicknames and the tag Cyclone came after Sheppard's third fight.

"She was throwing everything in the bout." said Heimuli "She was like a windmill."

Heimuli is attempting to arrange for Sheppard to fight an Australian. If that fails, he will look to Europe.

Last year, Sheppard fought once for the national flyweight title and won.

She's philosophical about the problems of getting bouts, saying it gives her time to improve technique.

"It can be a little bit frustrating because I do have to wait a long time between fights. But it gives you longer to prepare," she said.

Sheppard is 10kg lighter than many other female kick boxers which adds to the dilemma of finding rivals.

Two women's bouts are planned as part of a New Zealand - Japan promotion at Downtown Convention Centre in Auckland on Thursday.

Sheppard, like Heimuli and many of his fighters, has a strong Christian belief. There are prayers before bouts and training.

For many, looking from the outside, kick boxing and religion look a strange marriage. The sport can appear brutal with hits allowed on any part of the body apart from the groin. And the attacks are of no knees barred variety and - in New Zealand - the use of elbows barred.

But Sheppard disagrees with the brutal description.

"Everyone is very highly skilled," she said. "No one goes into the ring unless they are prepare properly. I enjoy it. To me, it is just like any other sport. I think the Lord gives us talents for certain things. Some people are good at kick boxing. I don't find it unusual."

Sheppard said her parents, Rob and Marcelle, had always been supportive even when she entered the ring for the first time. It helps that her father has an orange belt in karate.

Sheppard's entry to the sport came via Taekwando she has a second degree black belt in martial art.

The stakes in kick boxing could be poised to become bigger. There is talk of the sport being admitted to the Olympic Games in 2004 and Sheppard would love to represent New Zealand. In the meantime, she spends a lot of time sparring with mean under Heimuli's direction.

She trains up to two hours a day six days a week. Sheppard said she was always learning something new. " You are always thinking. You are having to work off the other person. It is like chess in terms of attack and them counter."

Heimuli believes his charge is not solely reliant on ring performance, that is really the icing on the cake. A champion must have the wisdom to make prudent lifestyle decisions in terms of what they do it with. I can sum it up by saying, those who walk with the wise grow wise, but champanions of fools come to harm." he said.

Given the chance Sheppard may be heading for a world title fight.