Before diving into her latest blog post, get to know Isabella Rositano a little better through her ambassador profile.

Can you tell us about your early athletic journey - how did you first get into canoe sprint, and what did earning an AIS scholarship mean to you?

Getting the news I had earned an Australian Institute of Sport scholarship for Canoe was one of the best moments in my life. The AIS is home to all our Olympians, so being awarded this scholarship meant I was one step closer to my Olympic dream.

You’ve competed in a variety of high-profile sports - canoeing, AFL with Italy, NRLW draft, monobob bobsledding - what draws you to explore such diverse disciplines?

I lost a lot of family when I was young so I always make the most of every moment I have, recognising I’m lucky to be alive. While my focus is to become the best in one sport and make the Olympics, I’ve had the opportunity to pursue other sports on the side, I say yes to these opportunities as any training is good training towards my goal and cross training trains your body in different ways. Sport has also allowed me to see the world which I am grateful for.

[Isabella Rositano, in a black and blue athletic swimsuit and visor, sits smiling in a canoe by a wooden dock, with a paddle in hand and a calm lake surrounded by trees and houses in the background.]

What inspired your latest move into boxing, and how does it compare to the experiences of sprint canoe competitions?

Funnily enough, I’m not nervous at all going into the cage or ring whereas for canoe sprint I often felt shaky at the start line. I feel excited every time I get to fight, that’s a sign I’m in the right sport! 

I was drawn to fighting as it’s a sport where once you’re close on a technical / fitness level, it’s won in the heart and mind. I knew I would be a good fighter as life has been hard and God has made my heart and mind strong, this is the strength that will make me the best. I’ve always enjoyed watching boxing and I enjoy wrestling. I have the soul, the spirit and the strength, there are a lot of options for me within combat sports.

How has training for boxing differed from your previous sports in terms of physical preparation, technique, and mindset?

A lot more roadwork and a lot more study! My first two fights have been on short notice, the first one I had about 3 days notice so I didn’t really prepare for the fight specifically. I enjoy watching and studying fights, whereas for canoeing it’s so similar and there’s a limited amount of races you can study. My mindset going in fits a lot better for fighting than for canoe. I’m grateful for the incredible hard times God gave me as I find fighting is easy compared to life. If I had an easy life, I think fighting would be hard!

[Isabella Rositano, with blonde braids and wearing a black beanie, black long-sleeved shirt, and black boxing gloves, stands with one arm raised in victory as two gloved hands support her.]

Being based in the USA while training for boxing, what challenges have you faced adjusting to a new environment, training culture, and lifestyle away from home?

It is very hard and challenging right now. Currently I am on camp in Las Vegas as I am staying ready in case I get the call to fight in an event on October 3rd, 2025 (I pray!). It has been very hard here and I’ve spent most of my life savings so I’m praying for sports opportunities and for sponsors to jump on board my team. The cultural differences have been hard for me during my time here. It is very isolating, especially as I don’t have a car so I ride my bike everywhere and all I do is train. The weather is a challenge, riding my bike in 35-40 degree heat to and from training, I’ve earned the name Izzy Goggins and I am proud of it. It is the fight capital for a reason and I love the training culture here. I get quality striking coaching with the Smiling Warriors at Sittichok Muay Thai and with my boxing coach Dewey Cooper. I go wrestling at a few MMA gyms and I’m grateful for my friends at Syndicate. There are a lot of challenges for foreigners here, it’s hard but I keep faith in the vision God gave me and that keeps me going.

Since transitioning to boxing, what fights have you competed in so far, and how have those experiences shaped your approach in the ring?

I’ve had 2 fights in America, for the first one it turned into an all round brawl which as a fan of technical boxing I was a little disappointed in myself but at the same time I won it in the first round, so although it was messy it worked! The second I went for cleaner boxing and won by unanimous decision but I was disappointed as I felt if I had gone for my brawling style I could have definitely finished by the second round. I have good endurance so I found out if I let the fight progress longer I seem to find more energy which is cool.  

I will say a big one I learnt with my second fight in Seattle is the importance of your corner. I must thank each of my cornermen! They kept it very simple, clear, motivational and best of all they threw cold water on me which is exactly what I needed. It was really nice to do something hard with a team and not alone for once.

How do you approach recovery and injury prevention as you transition into the demands of boxing?

Earlier in my camp I went to a great recovery gym, for me ice baths are awesome. Unfortunately the funds are designated more towards food now, so for recovery I just focus on sleeping and staying hydrated. I’m grateful to Thorne Nutrition for supporting me with their great sports approved supplements. What I take is formulated for fighters and keeps my brain and body healthy.

Which PainPod products do you currently enjoy using and why?

I love my PainPod Lite as I can use it wherever I go!

What are your personal goals in boxing - are you aiming for competitions or perhaps exploring another sport crossover in the future?

I really hope I get the short notice call up for October 3, 2025! Other than that, I hope I can represent one of my countries at the Olympics one day and I would love to do a Rocky Marciano fighting at the boxing mecca Madison Square - I don’t care how long it takes me but I hope I can get there soon I so more of my family and friends will be alive to see it.