Gillespie punches above her weight to win gold

Christine Gillespie was so determined to get in the ring at the weekend that she was prepared to give away a significant height and weight advantage.

Despite the size difference, Christine dominated her bout with Beulah Paris to win the South Island Elite Female 60kg Golden Gloves.

"I didn't feel out of place I just knuckled down and went to work."

A new coach and a new game plan resulted in a new title, adding to her crown of Elite Female National 54kg champion.

"The strategy was to go in hard and fast and I think I did that, I used to try workout my opponent, but I just went in punching down the barrel."

Christine recently switched gyms from Dixon's Boxing to Arapawa in Picton following a disagreement with her former coach Randall Dixon.

"It's an absolute pain having to drive over all the time, but I am making it work."

Originally planned for the 54kg division, Christine jumped up to 60kg as there were no fighters available in her class.

"I could feel it with her power too, but we do these things to get fights."

Christine would win all three, three-minute rounds on the judges’ scorecards for a unanimous decision victory.

"She got a couple of good shots in, and I did feel the extra weight behind them but it didn't bother me too much because my defence was pretty good, I was quietly confident I had done enough."

Christine says she is thriving under new tutelage including working with her father.

"Dad used to box when he was a kid, and he has jumped on board to help me so it's been a great combination between him and my new coach Eddie."

Christine says she is feeling stronger and more confident.

"I am enjoying boxing again."

The 30-year-old has put her name down to fight at an amateur event in Timaru in a fortnight but without an opponent lined up, she is unlikely to appear.

Instead, she is setting her sights on the New Zealand Golden Gloves in Christchurch on July 3.