Sport
8 February, 2025
Teen boxer aiming for gold
THE Douglas Shire consistently punches above their weight when it comes to producing elite level athletes.
Young boxing prodigy Nate Martinelli is no exception to that.
Last June he competed in the national championships in Perth where he was runner-up in the 52kg weight class.
His dad, Armen Martinelli, said his son was “a very humble young athlete, but also a fierce competitor”.
“We were both incredibly proud of his achievements, but we’ll continue to train hard and win gold,” he said.
Since the 2024 national championships, the 15-year-old has continued to work extremely hard, using the narrow defeat as constant motivation.
Mr Martinelli senior also applauded his coaching staff, giving a special shout-out to Aaron Wellman at Evolve Boxing and Fitness Machans Beach and the boys from Newell Beach Boxing.
“Nate’s training plans haven’t changed much. We’ve worked more on his technique,” he said.
“We’ll be focusing on turning his current fighting style into more of an Olympic-style of boxing.”
Mr Martinelli snr said there were some special preparations being done leading into this year’s championships.
“Cardio is king,” he said.
“Rounds on the bag, skipping and focus pads. It’s important he trains longer than he fights so that he’s got the upper hand in competitions.”
While he is not eligible for the novice titles in March, he is setting his sights on the national championships.
Mr Martinelli snr said his training would lift even more to reach the high standards of the nationals.
The junior has a 6:4-win record at high level competitions with all his losses being extremely narrow.
Master Martinelli said he was well prepared for the novice titles.
“I try not to think too far ahead,” he said.
“I prepare for every fight the same way and just stick to my basics.”
He is now training four days a week between his boxing sessions and at Port Douglas Gym, one of his sponsors.
He is looking to improve his record and send out some warning shots leading into this year’s national championships where he aims to win gold.
