Mathie is (literally) fighting her way to the top of her sport, but the sky’s the limit for this ambitious beauty.
Avril Mathie: The Lady is a Champ
Knockout Avril Mathie shows as a triple threat with beauty, brains and brawn — the Aussie athlete perhaps best known to sports fans as an undefeated boxing pro, who appreciates the art of the sweet science. But Avril’s also a self-admitted travel addict, gorgeous model, and fitness expert who loves connecting with people and inspiring them to live their best lives. Penthouse spoke with Avril, 35, about how she made the leap from bikini contests to boxing and what keeps her coming back to the ring.
How did you get your start modeling?
I’m originally from Australia. From 18 to 21, I worked in a nightclub on the Gold Coast. Every week, they would hold bikini competitions with really big cash prizes — and not just for the winner, but for whoever made it to the finals. So, sometimes if there were not enough girls entering, they would ask us from behind the bar if we wanted to jump in. I always would, and I started winning a lot of money this way! A few years in, I also made a lifestyle change from partying a lot to being healthy and working out, and that was when I started winning everything and going to higher levels of the competitions — winning national finals, and even international finals like Miss Swimsuit USA 2013 and the $50,000 Las Vegas International Model Search in 2015.
Along this whole journey I was gaining notoriety, and brands would often approach me to model for them. Then Instagram was born, and it was even easier for brands to connect with me.
What attracted you to boxing?
I started boxing late in 2012. I broke my foot doing muay thai, which I had been doing for a few years just for fun and fitness, and boxing was literally all I could do. With a broken foot, I couldn’t run, jump or anything! The coach I had at the time started to teach me a lot more defensive work — rather than just attacking — and I started to see it as a game of chess. But games are more fun when there are two players, so I wanted to have a fight! I somehow won my first bout and was addicted to the adrenaline. It became my obsession and was all I wanted to do.
What’s your typical fitness routine?
If I don’t have an upcoming fight, I’m training boxing three to four times per week. I’ll do strength and conditioning sessions one to two times per week, a long run or two, and play beach volleyball almost every day. If I have a fight coming up, I’ll drop the beach volley to one to two days per week, do boxing five times per week, and add sprint and speedwork sessions as well.
What was behind your move from Australia to Florida? And what do you like most about your new home base?
In 2015, I split from my ex and had a realization that I can be anywhere I want in the world, doing whatever I wanted to do. After a little thought, I decided that was boxing and that the land of opportunity was the USA. I almost moved to Las Vegas or L.A., but after spending a week in Miami I decided as a beach girl that was more of an ideal spot for me! And I’m glad I did, because I have an amazing coach and team here. It’s easy to travel anywhere from here — the airport is 15 to 20 minutes away — and I live one block from the beach. It doesn’t get better than that!
What are your current short-term and long-term goals?
My short-term goals are usually whatever I have coming up, a fight, a project that I’m working on, staying fit, etc. But I’m so satisfied just living out my life and enjoying the spontaneity of whatever comes my way that I don’t really get too attached to any one thing. What I enjoy most of all is connecting with people, making them laugh and inspiring them with how I live my life and the possibilities of how they could live theirs and what they can achieve. Randomly, my long-term goals are to own a lot of property and build really cool houses.
Do you have any interest in pursuing an MMA career?
No, I have no interest in getting elbowed in the face!
With everything else you have going on, what’s made you keep coming back to boxing?
Boxing excites me because I like to challenge myself. But honestly there are periods I go through where I get a bit bored with it because I don’t feel like I’m growing or improving. Boxing is very political, so it can often get frustrating when you just want to compete. But then sometimes you just have that one training session or fight offer — or maybe even just a conversation with someone — that reignites the flame. So right now I’m still here. I’m also really enjoying beach volleyball at the moment, too, and I can compete every single week if I want to, so I think that’s really helped my competitive patience.
Tell us about your workout app. How did that come about, and what do you like most about it?
I noticed there were no good boxing apps out there that actually teach you how to box and the proper movements. They just give you random “boxing” fitness moves. I always have people asking me if I can coach them. I would absolutely love to, but I don’t have the time. So I created my app — boxwithavrilapp.com — to fill the gap and teach people how to use their whole body when boxing. Not only do you look better doing it, but it’s a way more effective workout because you’re actually using your whole body. It’s also one of the hardest workouts out there, so once you learn the basics, you can rip into shape really fast. There’s also a chat feature in there, so my members can update me on how they’re doing — which I love to hear — ask any questions or advice, or request specific workouts.
As befits a modern personal brand proponent, you may find Ms. Avril Mathie on Instagram, Twitter, or even via her own website — a trick not many of the mobile-first crowd has understood much as of yet. (On social media, “they” own your content. On your own site, you get to be the owner yourself. This, however, should be a discussion for a different day.) All of that officialness aside, if you really want to get in deep with Avril, we suggest her YouTube channel. Of course you can watch her box, but he vlog will be worth your time all by itself.
