Rat Pack is a segment where we showcase the diversity, culture and hidden talents of the people in and around the Red Rat community.
Meet Violet
Muay Thai fighter, Oka connoisseur, proud Kiwi & Samoan and our Otahuhu Store Manager. We got the chance to sit down and chat with her about streetwear, life and how it led her to Muay Thai.
We know you're an avid Muay Thai fan but tell us some more about you
My story is a bit out there, I was born and raised in the heart of South Auckland, my parents migrated to NZ in their 20's from Samoa and started their Kiwi family. There's a lot more opportunities when people move here; better education, better jobs.
Life wasn’t always easy though, plans didn’t go the way they had hoped, which resulted in having a rough upbringing, and a broken family. I’m blessed to say I made something great of my life, I’ve been working since such a young age, and have been in retail management since 17. I am happily married to my amazing husband for 11 years.
I grew up playing your typical kiwi sport Rugby, and in my adult years, along with some memorable injuries, -I finally tried something different which lead me to learning the art of Muay Thai.
What’s your favourite sneaker/item of clothing at the moment?
Hmmmm, I am definitely digging the Puma RS-X Trophy's. Other than those, the Nike Air Max 270's are very comfortable. I have them in black on black.
Other than wanting to gain back control of my health, I’ve had my fair share of hard times. Muay Thai SAVES LIVES! I, along with so many people who take pride in the sport will also say the same thing, however above all else, God first! – let’s just say I will always need Jesus. Some call it religion, for me it’s a relationship, your own journey. If I’m being specific, for me [Muay Thai's] about respect, honour and loyalty. Although the culture is very different, it reflects my moral and beliefs. You really learn how to humble yourself in a situation where normally you find people that aren’t humble. It enables you to learn a lot about your own character and gives you a deeper understanding about what it’s like to live the life of a fighter. Fighting is not always about being the toughest or winning all the time. It’s truly about the lessons that you learn within it. And I feel like Muay Thai honestly gives you that understanding.
What’s your favourite home cooked meal?
That’s a hard one. My favourite home cooked meal would probably be what we call oka which is raw fish with coconut cream. I guess with a side of fried corn beef with vegetables, on a bed of rice. [This] is probably my all-time favourite go-to home cooked meal plus taro and coconut cream. Coconut cream is life.
Do you feel like Muay Thai has helped to extend your family?
I’m surrounded by champions every single day. People who understand your journey, they become your family. They better themselves and [have] the real drive and commitment to get somewhere. You watch these people and the state of mind that they go into and it takes a lot of hard work. People think you can just get in the ring, smash some people and boom it’s over. For some people, yeah, that may be the case but it’s so much more to that. The journey before that is far harder than just being in the ring. Everyone thinks that being in the ring is the hard part, but it’s the part before that. You’ve got a lot of mental building to do, a lot of spiritual building to do. At the end of the day, you’re in the ring with one other person and the battle is with you.
It's like building your mental fitness along with your physical fitness
It really is a mental game. It’s all about what’s in your heart and that’s why I say to people it’s what really saved me. It broke me down. Which is really good, I really needed to be broken down. I needed to exhaust my energy, I needed to put that energy somewhere good. And that was into my heart, my spirit, my mind and the way I think. And again, it’s just about telling yourself “you are good enough, you are worthy.” It [gave me] a purpose. It’s good for my heart. I love it.
If you could only wear one brand of clothing for the rest of your life, what would it be and why?
It would be adidas because the quality is good, sizing is on point, I never feel like I’m struggling when I wear that brand. I’m never struggling to fit it or find something that I like. Again, the quality. You know, it’s hard to have something and to own it for years. Which I feel like I’ve had [with] adidas, you know I actually have a few adidas jerseys that I’ve had since I was like, I’m gonna say 19. I’m 32. I’ve actually had them [since I was 19]. Since before I met my husband. Yeah, it was about that time. I legit still have these items and wear them.
