Victory Boxing Board

John Armstrong

Kia ora

I'm John Armstrong and I am proud to be on the board of the Victory Boxing Charitable Trust. I started boxing in the early nineties and I enjoy watching the progress of the students and adults that come through the Victory Boxing programme. I love the diversity of the boxing gym and have met some great people from all walks of life.

I am currently school principal at Henley School in Richmond – one of the largest contributing schools in the South Island. I am used to consulting, making informed decisions, managing change and working within a budget. I am also the former Lead Principal for the Waimea Community of Schools (12 schools with just under 5,000 students).

I am married to Rebecca (also a teacher) and we have a daughter called Rosie and a son called Tom. Outside of work I participate in a range of sports (boxing, tennis, paddle boarding, snowboarding) and enjoy spending time with family and friends. I have been learning te reo Maori for the last few years. I am also involved with a number of other boards and enjoy the challenge of the governance role.

Ngā mihi nui

John Armstrong

B Com, BSc, BA (Hons), MA, Dip Teaching, Dip Educational Management

Kim Meyer

Kia ora

I'm Kim Meyer. It's a real honour to be part of this amazing group of people. While I don't have a boxing background myself, I am passionate about sport, the great outdoors, and the power it has to change lives and bring people together. For me personally, sport has been a huge confidence builder and I love to see it doing the same for the tamariki and rangatahi of Victory Boxing.

I have a legal background in Health and Safety, Employment and Family Law and have practiced as as a family lawyer for the last 12 years, working in particular with victims of domestic violence and vulnerable children.

My husband Sakkie and I have two young children, Mahe (2) and Eliana (10 months) who keep us very busy.  In my few moments of spare time you will find me on a mountain bike, a road bike or adventuring in the mountains.

Kim Meyer

LLB, BA (Psychology), Associate Solicitor

Hayden Thompson

Hello, I am Hayden Thompson and have the privilege of being a board member of the Victory Boxing Charitable Trust. I have been involved with Victory Boxing since January 2014 when I was training for my first corporate boxing match at Fight 4 Victory 2. It was the involvement with Victory Boxing back then that pulled me into the gym after my fight and I really got to see the great work being done in the Community by the dedicated and hard-working group at Victory Boxing.

My wife Francine and I own and run Pomeroy’s Coffee & Tea Company here in Nelson and we have three children aged 13, 11, 9. In my spare time I am either on my mountain bike, skiing or just enjoying the outdoors.

I have been involved with the New Zealand Speciality Coffee Association up until last year as an executive board member and president. I also coach a junior rugby team, and this year took up a new challenge of umpiring baseball for the local Nelson Heat Baseball team.

Hayden Thompson

Karen Darling

Kia ora koutou, ko Karen Darling toku ingoa.  I am excited to become a part of the wonderful Victory Boxing whanau.

I have a lifelong love of sport and I believe that through sport we can bring out the best of ourselves and others.  I studied Recreation & Tourism Management at Lincoln University many years ago and I have worked in both those sectors in various management and marketing roles.  I have been fortunate that my work has taken me round the world and I have worked within communities in Africa, The Caribbean, and different parts of New Zealand.  Most recently I was National Manager for the New Zealand Newcomers Network, a Not for Profit organisation that provides opportunities for social connection for newcomers.

I'm married to Hamish, a commercial pilot and we have 5 awesome children aged 18, 14, 11 and two 6 year olds.  Our kids are a diverse mix of cultures and came to us through a combination of adoption, birth and fostering.  They all love sport and our eldest son Max is a professional basketballer currently playing in Europe and is a current member of the New Zealand Junior Tall Blacks.

I have been learning Te Reo for the past couple of years and my love and respect of the language, and tikanga Maori has really grown through this.  We love living in the Nelson community and as a family we get involved in lots of community events.

"Ehara taku toa, I te toa takitahi, engari he toa takitini" - My success is not that of a sinagle warrior but that of many.

A salamu alakam - Peace be upon you.

Karen Darling PRM

Kyle Bruning

Kia ora, I am Kyle Bruning and I feel privileged to be a Board member of the Victory Boxing Charitable Trust.

While I do not have a background in boxing I have been involved in many sports that have utilised boxing sessions for its values of physical and mental fitness, discipline, respect and confidence.  It's fantastic to see these values being developed in the tamariki and rangatahi of Victory Boxing.

I am a Sergeant in the New Zealand police, where I have worked in a number of roles including frontline response policing, family harm, tactical crime unit and rural policing.  I currently supervise a prevention team with a focus on alcohol harm prevention.

Prior to joining the police I spent 10 years living in Scotland, where I met my wife Joyce.  We have three sons, Kieron, Hayden and Blake.  In my spare time I enjoy a variety of sports and spending time on the beach.

Kyle Bruning

Irene Firestone

Kia Ora

I'm Irene Firestone, I have just started on the Victory Boxing Board this year and feel privileged to be part of an organisation and group of people doing wonderful things through sport for our community and our kids. 

I am Nelson born but have spent several years travelling and studying,  I studied at Otago doing a BA in social work and then later completed my Masters in Business Administration, focusing on Governance - I enjoy working with businesses/Organisations that build and help our community thrive.

I am married to Perry and we are very lucky to have 3 girls, 13, 11 and 9.  We feel blessed to be back in the Nelson community with everything it has to offer - couldn't imagine living anywhere else.  We enjoy taking our kids out tramping, biking and making the most of what Nelson has to offer. 

BA, MBA

Irene