They call her “the Smiling Assassin”, this beautiful Ngāti Hine athlete from the tiny Northland settlement of Pipiwai, deep in the Te Horo Valley.
I suspect the title doesn’t sit well with her. Lani Daniels is, without a doubt, a wahine toa, a strong, brave female warrior. She is also the world light heavyweight boxing champion – a title she gained late last year after a sizzler of a fight with Australia’s Desley Robinson, a woman taller and heavier than her, with a longer reach.
Commentators marvelled at 35-year-old Lani’s meticulous boxing, her resilience, her toughness and her stamina. She was, they said, fighting out of her skin. Out of the ring, though, the other side of her is there for all to see. She is humble, empathetic and genuinely concerned about the welfare of others. There’s no pretence about Lani. She’s remarkably open and honest during our chat.
She confides that in her first big fight, her opponent looked intimidating and even owned her own gym. But Lani was surprised to find that when she jabbed her rival, she managed to turn her around and quickly get the better of her.
“I felt mean,” she confesses. “I didn’t want to hit her. I felt bad.”
Lani says she’s had to work hard to find the aggression needed in the ring. And while she’s a naturally gifted boxer, success hasn’t come easy. In fact, it’s been a tough ride.
Born Te Arani Moana Daniels, Lani is the sixth of Agnes and Mike Daniels’ nine children. She’s lived in Pipiwai pretty much her whole life. The family land is covered in fruit trees, and there are sheep, cattle and pigs, plus paddocks of potatoes. As children, she and her many cousins roamed the valley.
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2024 من Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك ? تسجيل الدخول
هذه القصة مأخوذة من طبعة March 2024 من Australian Women’s Weekly NZ.
ابدأ النسخة التجريبية المجانية من Magzter GOLD لمدة 7 أيام للوصول إلى آلاف القصص المتميزة المنسقة وأكثر من 8500 مجلة وصحيفة.
بالفعل مشترك? تسجيل الدخول
Spotlight on Vitamin D
Sunlight is the best source of vitamin D, but safe sun exposure is still essential.
Coming up roses
Driven by a renewed interest in the flower’s power, a rose renaissance is dawning.
'I was given a 5% chance of survival'
When Caroline Laner Breure was hit by a car in an horrific accident on a Spanish holiday with her boyfriend, her body and her dreams were shattered. Somehow she found the will to go on living.
Time to celebrate our mothers
Author Kathy Lette gives a heartfelt thank you to her magnificent mum, Val - a baker of fairy cakes with the patience of a saint.
"I am lucky to be here" ”
Since the day she walked onto the MasterChef Australia set back in 2009, Julie Goodwin has openly shared her life. But in writing a memoir, she had to examine the demons she'd battled privately... until now.
JAMIE OLIVER at your service
Returning to the set of MasterChef Australia to help steer a path through grief and spread happiness, the celebrity chef is also at a turning point - he opens up about failure, love, second chances and his endless reservoir of joie de vivre.
From one mum to another
Princess Catherine's public announcement struck a chord with mum-of-two Jane Gillard. She shares her story of parenting through cancer- and offers hope for the princess and mums navigating their own health journey while raising primary-aged kids.
The courage of Princess Catherine "You are„, not alone"
It was a rare personal address that she shouldn’t have had to make. But with conspiracy theories swirling and the slimmed-down “Firm” under fire, Princess Catherine silenced critics with searing courage and dignity.
THE MAN WHO WASN'T THERE
When Tracy Hall fell for Max Tavita, she fell for a mirage. Max was a false identity created by a con man, and Tracy was the latest in a long line of women whose life savings hed stolen.
Amother's GIFT
In December last year, Australia’s first uterus transplant recipient, Kirsty Bryant, gave birth to Henry, a happy, healthy baby boy. The uterus that had made this little miracle possible had been donated by her mother, Michelle. Five months later, their first Mother’s Day since Henry’s birth feels especially precious.