Jasmine Daunakamakama is a professional boxer who packs a punch inside the ring while living as a student and navigating a singing career.
She is what many will call a self-starter, but the 18-year-old from Lomani-Koro, Bau, Tailevu, says “you can do anything, as long as you have the right mindset”.
With five fights to her name, the silver medallist from the Women’s Oceania Boxing Championships held in May this year in Samoa, she has set her eyes on the IBA Women’s World Boxing Championships that is going to take place in Astana, Kazakhstan next year.
So how does she plan to successfully live two different careers at the same time?
According to her, her two interests support each other and it’s the discipline required for both that appealed to her.
Both require hours of training. Jasmine is a singer in the band V5, which became popular after winning one of the top prizes in last year’s Domo Vou Talei competition.
She studies through distance learning to allow her a flexible schedule for her two main loves – music and boxing.
Her family has been involved with combat sports for a long time, as her grandfather used to coach her mum, and her mum’s siblings at a very young age.
But it was as a seven-year-old that she stumbled upon boxing while visiting her uncle, Andrew Wongkee, at a combat sports gym in Hong Kong.
Wongkee is a coach and a personal trainer in Hong Kong.
He was the strength and conditioning coach for two-time former unified world heavyweight champion Anthony Joshua in one of his fights.
“It was just something about stepping into the ring, and slipping on oversized gloves at a very young age,” she shared.
“I used to just mess around with my uncle’s equipment at the gym, and began thinking of one day stepping in the ring.”
Her wish eventually came true when she had her first fight was in May last year, where she won against Laisani Vulavou, in a club competition at the Boxing Brave Gym in Walu Bay.
Jasmine remembers all the old medals her mother and siblings get from boxing, and karate.
Her dad, Panapasa Daunakamakama, was the one who started holding mitts for her as a kid just for self-defence.
“It was a pretty easy choice for me to do boxing. I have been training for a while now, and have to admit, I was a bit nervous to spar at first. But once I got into the ring that was it.
“I knew I enjoyed the sport, always something new to learn.
“Like I said, my family is heavily interested in combat sports, so grateful for that.”
Her dad and uncles are always guiding and pointing out what she needs to work on for her next fight.
“My parents have been supporting my journey in boxing.”
She finds it very challenging to find female opponents in her 63-66kg weight category, as competition for females is limited. She said boxing has helped her in her personal development.
“I don’t give up after a little setback. I remember that every setback is a chance to improve, never stop growing.”
Speaking of her experience at the Oceania Games, she said meeting boxers from the region was an amazing outing.
“Just seeing other boxers coming together and sharing their passion for the sport, is something amazing to watch,” she said.
“I was aiming for gold, but ended up losing to a Samoan boxer, Rose Onasai. It was a good fight as she is a good boxer, but for the Pacific Games, that gold medal is for Fiji.”
She named Mike Tyson as her biggest role model and shared that her ultimate dream was to “fight internationally”.
