First-up win a reward for tough regime

After picking up a set of boxing gloves just 18 months ago, Teegan Vlahov has won her first White Collar boxing match at the Crown Pyramid in Perth.

Coming through three two-minute rounds, Vlahov’s weeks of training and dedication paid off recently when judges voted her winner of the White Collar Boxing WA charity event.

“It feels good to win, especially being the first competition I’ve ever entered, and it makes me hungry for more,” she said.

“I trained every day, two hours a day for eight weeks, and it was hell but I loved it and in the end, it was so worth it.”

Vlahov said she would enter the charity boxing match again next year and would be on the lookout for more competitions.

“The last week leading up to the competition was so tough but I never thought of giving up because you can see the finish line — you just have to mentally push through.

“I went in confident to get the win. You have to because if you’re not confident and backing yourself, then you’ve already lost.”

Vlahov said in terms of mindset as well as fitness, boxing was an empowering sport that she recommended to anyone, especially women.

“Girls feel quite empowered boxing — it stirs a lot of emotions and is a brilliant skill to have in everyday life because you learn to control aggression and use your breath,” she said.

“Women’s boxing is huge, on the rise and we have so many strong female boxers as role models these days. It’s not the intimidating. Angry sport people think it is — it’s all controlled and about strength and the right techniques.”

Vlahov said the biggest motivation entering the charity event was the charity being supported.

The charity event, organised by White Collar Boxing WA in conjunction with RingSide Boxing & Fitness, was in support of Tiny Sparks WA charity for high-risk pregnancies and babies born sick or premature as well as the Women and Infants Research Foundation.

“The biggest thing for me entering this boxing competition was the charity being so close to home — I had my daughter premature,” she said.

More than 1000 people attended the event and 32,000 people watched the matches live.