Minnet Dicks, future Olympic champion
Dicks says after she has achieved her goal of going to the Olympics, she has no plans to turn professional and would rather stay in the amateur leagues.
Boxing has been in Minnet Dicks’ blood for as long as she can remember.
Her grandmother is a boxing coach and referee, her a father is a coach and her older sister is an SA champ.
“Boxing is always something I’ve had a passion for.
“When I was younger, I used to watch my father coach the boys and I wanted to do it as well.
“As soon as I turned nine, I started training,” says Dicks.
Initially, Dicks says she thought training would be easy, but it wasn’t.
As she trained more, she realised she had to put in more work as the fights get harder and new opponents are fought, especially when fighting outside the province.
Boxers never really have an off-season as they have to train throughout the year to maintain optimum fitness.
When speaking to Dicks, one is struck by her self-belief.
This she says, didn’t come easily nor did it come without a few hard lessons.
“The first time I went to the SA Champs, I fought against a boxer my sister had previously fought against and won.
“Before the fight, she came into the bathroom I was in and told me she was going to win.
“That shocked me, and honestly, I lost that fight before I got into the ring because she psyched me out,” says Dicks.
Now Dicks says she is confident in her abilities and believes she’s going to win any fight regardless of who is in the ring with her.
She says it’s a waste of time to get into the ring when you’ve already lost the fight in your mind.
It is this confidence, which makes it easy to believe she will achieve her life’s goal.
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“I want to be the first South African female boxer to go to the Olympics,” says Dicks.
Women’s boxing was allowed for the first time at the Olympic Games in 2012 and to date, no female South African boxer has ever qualified.
When outside the boxing ring, Dicks is a formidable hockey player, which she says also helps with her boxing.
“It’s hand-eye co-ordination and keeping your eye on the ball,” says Dicks.
Dicks says after she has achieved her goal of going to the Olympics, she has no plans to turn professional and would rather stay in the amateur leagues.
“I want to coach more, especially girls.
“Teach them how to defend themselves so they don’t become punching bags for boys,” says Dicks.
For now though, Dicks is training at home as she still wants to take part in more tournaments and the SA Champs later this year.
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