Zak's fighting chance 'SHORTY WAS A SILVER LINING'

The champion boxer missed out on the Commonwealth Games but landed his dream role

- Leena Tailor

Not many doctors prepare for surgery with a bout of boxing, but that’s what Zak Martin can often be found doing while getting into character as Dr Rahu Parata on Shortland Street.

“I shadowbox in a corner before ‘action’ is called,” the boxing champ and actor tells Woman’s Day. “Some people look at me like, ‘What’s he doing?’ Sometimes other actors give it a go or just laugh at me! It just helps so much with getting out of my head, especially before big scenes.”

It’s bittersweet that Zak’s practising punches in Ferndale. If all had gone according to plan, the 23-year-old would instead be in Birmingham right now, representing Aotearoa in boxing at the 2022 Commonwealth Games. However, years of training and dedication crumbled after a heartbreaking injury forced Zak to withdraw.

“I was devastated,” he admits. “I still feel emotional talking about it because it was so hard. Everything for the last two years was geared towards the Games. My coach JeffStutt kept reiterating, ‘Zak, you have many years ahead to represent New Zealand. Don’t beat yourself up.’ He was awesome when I was feeling those demons.”

Neither boxing nor acting were on Zak’s radar while growing up in Sydney, then West Auckland, where he became hooked on rugby and kapa haka.