Jasmine Parr, daughter of John Wayne Parr, won her first Australian boxing championship on debut
The daughter of Australian kickboxing legend and boxing world champion John Wayne Parr has won her first Australian boxing championship on debut.
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The daughter of Australian kickboxing legend and boxing world champion John Wayne Parr has won her first Australian boxing championship on debut – and she says it felt good to prove she can rumble too.
Muay Thai fighter Jasmine ‘Princess’ Parr, 18 fought at the Australian Boxing Championships and won the Australian Super Flyweight title.
It went eight rounds with her winning after a knockdown in round six over Nicila Costello at Eatons Hill.
Her father won the same championship in 2001, making them the first father-daughter Australian champions in the country’s boxing history.
“It felt good to be a boxer,” she said.
“It was really cool because my dad fought the exact same title 20 years ago.”
Ms Parr said while being a Parr came with a lot of pressure given her father’s record in contact sports she was grateful to be able to show everyone she could win too.
“It has always been a lot of pressure because both my parents are very good fighters and world champions,” she said.
“(But) I have always taken the pressure in a good way. I know I have a lot to prove but it’s why I take it seriously.
“There’s always people who had negative things to say, but I know in myself I am a good fighter and I am dedicated and hard work really does pay off.
“People can say just because I am my parents’ daughter I am a good fighter, but actions speak louder than words.
“I can’t see why I can’t be as a good as them in my own right,” she said.
Ms Parr said she was brought into the fighting world from the moment of conception and never looked back.
“The first place I went when I was born was the gym because my dad was late for class,” she said of her father who has a formidable reputation for training and discipline.
“I have been training my whole life. I started taking it seriously when I was seven.”
Mr Parr said he had no expectations of Jasmine to compete in the fight game when she was younger but she was persistent about getting in the ring.
“We would have supported her with whichever career she wanted,” he said.
“But with her becoming a fighter, we all get to share the same passion as a family.”
Mr Parr said the family went through a tough time when Jasmine decided to start matches when she was eight years old.
“I was getting attacked by the media for allowing my daughter to fight,” he said but added others had a different take: “At the shops people would come up to me saying 'martial arts saved my life and it’s so great to see your daughter enjoying the sport’.
“Just like football and dancing, if you want to be great it takes many years of sacrifice to separate you from the others.
“Now fast forward 10 years with Jazzy being 18, I am so happy to have been on so many fighting adventures all over the world.
“She did it all with her own self motivation to one day be great.”
She said: “After my first fight I was so addicted I never turned back,” adding being a young woman in the ring proved to be tough but winning the Australian title was a great way to show people what she could do.
“When I was younger there was a lot of stigma around me fighting at eight years old and they kept saying ‘By the time you’re 15 you are going to have brain damage or not be able to talk’,” she said.
“There was also a lot of chaos about me being a young girl in the ring.
“Here I am, 18 years old and 10 years later, still loving it and I am more motivated than ever.
“Women can be as strong as the boys and I will prove the people who say otherwise wrong every day,” she said.
Ms Parr said she tore her hip two years ago and tried to push through the pain but ended up needing surgery a six months ago.
“The pain got too much and I couldn’t walk or sit down,” she said.
“I had my first fight, since the surgery, in November and was taking it slow but then I was given the opportunity to make my boxing debut at the Australian title and couldn’t say no.”
Ms Parr was told three weeks before the event she would be fighting for the title and she said she went back into training too hard and re-injured her hip.
“My body couldn’t handle it and my hip tore again,” she said.
“The frustrating part was I do my rehab every day and go to my physio twice a week.
“I am dedicated to making my body be in the best shape it can possibly be.
“I was very worried going into the fight but I spoke to my doctor and he said if I was fighting Muay Thai or MMA it would be a definite no.”
She said she was still uncertain on whether she needed to go back into surgery for her hip and was waiting for further directions from her doctors.
She said she had to adapt to learning different techniques as it changed from Muay Thai to boxing.
“Normally I use legs, knees and elbows but this one I could only use my hands,” she said.
“It was probably a blessing in disguise as I was still recovering from my tear.”
She said both of parents helped her train for the event with her mother, Angela Rivera-Parr (Australian female kickboxer and mixed martial artist) who helped her with foot work and head movements.
“With dad we worked on power and sitting hard,” Ms Jasmine said.
“I got a mix of both styles which definitely paid off in the ring. My body got used to it and it felt natural
“My parents are so proud of me. It’s really good because it makes me proud of myself.”
She said the mental side of fighting was probably one of the biggest hurdles to overcome.
“If you can get through the training and the weight cut and are still feeling strong you will win the fight,” Ms Jasmine said.
“I have a strict diet for a couple weeks before my fight.
“I cut out sugar or unnecessary junk food and I go in the sauna and sweat out the last couple of kilos.
“Sometimes it gets hard because I love food so much.
“I do know that whenever there is a big opportunity like this you have to dedicate yourself and be disciplined,” she said.
Ms Parr said she end goal was to make it to the UFC and be a professional MMA fighter.
“Fighting is very addictive and it genuinely is my passion,” she said.
“It’s motivating when there is a goal in front of you.
“I know I want to do big things and make the world stage,” Ms Parr said.
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