The good fight

By: | Posted: 19 Mar 2025

Solo mother Casey Howat pulls no punches when she talks about her experience doing Family Works’ parenting programmes.

“All of the tutors were so supportive and encouraging. When I felt like I had no one in my corner, I had them.”

When she and her son moved from Nelson to Southland about 12 months ago, life had been “a bit unsettled”. They had lots of friends but no family support close by.

“It was the moment when you realise you need a village [to raise your child] and start building one.”

Casey reached out to Family Works for support and signed up for the Incredible Years Parent and Parenting programmes.

Casey said she had learned a lot from the programmes, including the importance of regular child-led play, creating a calm-down space and when to use it, following through with consequences and providing her young son Taimana with opportunities to make choices for himself such as what clothes to wear or what fruit he wanted in his lunchbox.

On May 3, Casey will compete in the Ōtepoti Boxing Club’s Punch with Purpose 4 corporate and professional charity boxing event at the Dunedin Town Hall, with Family Works Southland the recipient of the funds raised.

Casey said she had chosen Family Works as her charity because she wanted to promote the Buddy Programme, and the parenting programmes which had been so beneficial to her family.

“I want to get the word out there that these programmes are available.

“I believe in them. They were so helpful for me.”

She was inspired to compete in the boxing event after seeing it advertised on social media.

“I want to be an advocate for solo mothers and show them physical fitness is key to the mental game.  That release I get helps me keep calm with Taimana.

“I also want to be a positive role model for my son.  The discipline and consistency from this training camp transfers into my everyday life, which has a ripple effect to Taimana.  He is seeing first-hand what determination, resilience and discipline looks like.”

She was one of 25 competitors selected from 60 applications and was now in week four of a 10-week training camp ahead of fight night.

Boxing was not new to Casey.  She had boxed for fitness over the years and participated in a Contenders Club Series exhibition fight in Christchurch eight years ago.

Casey said she was privileged to be training under Chase Reihana Haley, the owner of Ōtepoti Boxing Club, who had appeared in the Relentless television documentary series profiling top ranked boxers she and her son had enjoyed watching together.

“I am so grateful to be learning the boxing craft from a current professional boxer.”