Hedda “The Shredder” Wolmarans has spent the past 13 months — or nearly 25% of her fledgling professional career — inactive, but she’s never stopped training and trying to improve her skills.
Wolmarans is set to return to action in a title fight when she takes on Nomadithini Ndyambo for the vacant SA women’s junior-welterweight title at Presley’s in Boksburg on Sunday afternoon.
“I love boxing and I love improving,” said Wolmarans, a personal trainer who turned 30 since her last bout in June last year.
“For me it’s not hard to be in the gym because there’s always something to work on and I always feel I’m playing catch-up in terms of who I get to spar against. I always need to be improving to just stay with them in sparring.”
Wolmarans, part of Colin Nathan’s Hot Box stable, regularly spars against men.
She was supposed to fight in December 2018, but the tournament fell through after the promoter ran into money troubles.
Unbeaten in four fights, Wolmarans is unfazed by the fact that her opponent is more experienced, with seven wins, four losses and a draw.
“I’m going to have to go there and suss her out quite a bit. It’s not the first time I’ve fought a more experienced opponent, it doesn’t worry me, really,” said the fighter, who in her last two bouts scored points wins over Kholosa Ndobayini.
Ndyambo also boasts two points victories over Ndobayini.
“I’m going to go in and fight my fight and we handle it as it comes,” explained Wolmarans. “I’ve got the best corner to help guide me through. Her experience doesn’t faze me.”
Wolmarans believes women’s boxing in SA has improved a little, but not enough.
“Relative to where it was two, three years ago it’s definitely in a better place, but compared to overseas we are way, way, way behind.”
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