Fe’ofa’aki Epenisa. Or Aki for short. Remember the name as she became the first female Tongan boxer. Not only that, she was the only boxer to represent Tonga in this year’s summer Olympics in Paris.
Aki started boxing due to her father who was also a boxer. She fell in love with the sport and after a few matches, she placed her sight on wanting to fulfill a dream of competing in the Olympics. Aki planned on making her debut for the 2020 Summer Olympics, but because of COVID it delayed her, but we all know there’s purpose in the delay. In the next four years, leading up to the 2024 Olympics, she used her time to train and gain more experience in boxing. Traveling across the world to train from the Bay Area to New Zealand and now residing in Texas, Aki’s hard work has paid off as she made HERstory for Tonga.
Although making history comes with a lot of responsibility and weight to carry, Aki and her coach found a method to help combat the added pressures of what external accolades can bring. She shared with us how accepting the mindset to “control only what you can control” helped her be at ease with the aspect of her being the first female boxer and only fighter for Tonga.
“If you keep improving yourself little by little, whether it’s mentally, physically, spiritually. I feel like as an athlete, you have to be really aligned in all those.”
– Fe’ofa’aki Epenisa
With as much of a surreal experience the Olympics was for Aki, she is looking forward to getting better at her craft to have another potential go at the 2028 Olympics in Los Angeles. In the meantime, Aki hopes and goals is to get better everyday in her disciplines and to be happy in what she is doing.
“If you keep improving yourself little by little, whether it’s mentally, physically, spiritually. I feel like as an athlete, you have to be really aligned in all those.”
Agreed! It is so important to invest back into yourself after outpouring everything out of you in your sport, job, or passions.
With combat fighting not being a popular sport within our culture, nor amongst women, Fe’ofa’aki serves as an inspiration to many! She is one of the pioneers in combat fighting for other Pacific Islanders, especially women, to be brave and not be afraid to step out of their comfort zone. For anyone out there who is looking for their sign to pick up the gloves or get out in the ring, let this be your sign!
Aki encourages all those inquiring about combat fighting to take that step and do so.
“I’ve walked into spaces where I’m the only girl. I had to hold my ground and be brave. I think it’s (combat fighting) a good way to really test yourself. And, just keep showing up. Just be like, okay, nobody else is in here, nobody else is doing it. That already makes you special. But again, facing those fears, it’s just part of the process, and just keep going.”
