Bay of Plenty pro fighter wins Athlete of the Year Award

Bay of Plenty Muay Thai fighter Emma Diprose is a world-class athlete with a lot of wins under her belt. Now, she has one more. 

The 25-year-old from Te Puke has just been named the Industrial Athletic Athlete of the Year at the 2025 Adams Academy Awards, adding yet another accolade to her growing collection.

Emma is a rising force in the professional fighting scene, steadily building a solid reputation for her skill, resilience and competitive edge. She currently sits at number two on the WBC World Rankings and is coming off the back of four consecutive wins against international fighters. Career highlights so far include a bronze at the IFMA World Championships as well as a New Zealand title. Next up is her WBC Muay Thai Welterweight World Title fight on December 6 at Mercury Baypark Arena.

Emma has been an Adams Academy athlete since 2019 and her journey has been an impressive one, with years of commitment and training culminating in her taking home the top prize at the 2025 Adams Academy Awards.

“A lot of work has gone into it and I think the Academy has definitely helped that,” Emma says.

“Especially being a single-athlete sport, there’s quite a lot of isolation, and the Academy allows me to be around the other athletes, which I think pushes me more,” she says.

“I think that’s the part that probably I’ve benefitted from the most because for years it has just been me training literally by myself with my trainer and then now, I can be around other athletes who share the same values, same goals and you’re not really alone.”

The Adams Academy is a high-performance sport programme based at the Adams Centre on the outskirts of Blake Park in Mount Maunganui. The Academy works with 127 aspiring and established athletes across 27 different sporting codes, from triathletes, cricketers, surfers, and runners, to hockey and squash players, track and field athletes, gymnasts, footballers, and more. 

The 2025 Adams Academy Awards saw more than 25 local athletes recognised and celebrated for their sporting success, both at home and abroad. 

The Adams Centre’s Head Strength and Conditioning Coach Loretta Hogg says what set Emma apart is the relentless work she has put into her mental game, saying she has committed to both sport psychology and clinical psychology.

“The shift in her confidence and composure has been profound,” Loretta says.

“She began as a very nervous athlete who really struggled with self-belief and was still recovering from a significant setback after sustaining nerve damage in her leg,” she says.

“Her progress is a credit to her resilience, consistency, and willingness to do the uncomfortable work.”

Fellow Adams Academy athlete Jayden Murphy has also had an outstanding year. The Surf Life Saving athlete was named the P3 Recovery Emerging Athlete of the Year, complementing his wins at last year’s Mount Monster and the Piha Invitational Ironman competition, his New Zealand Open Board Rescue title, and his selection in the 2025 New Zealand Pathways Team.

Loretta says the standard of athletes recognised this year has been exceptional.

“What stands out most is the depth of performance across so many different sports. These athletes have not only delivered results but have demonstrated professionalism, resilience, and a genuine commitment to improving every aspect of their craft,” she says.

“It reflects the calibre of coaching, support, and daily training environment we have here but more importantly, it reflects their own work ethic. They make the Academy proud.”

The Adams Centre has become a one-stop shop for individual athletes and professional sports teams preparing for competition at the highest level, including several Olympians and household names.

The Adams Academy, which is sponsored by Carrus, plays a crucial role in supporting young athletes as they begin their sporting careers. Many Academy members are teenagers still at school and this is their first taste of training in a high-performance, state-of-the-art gym environment. 

As well as working one-on-one with a strength and conditioning coach, they have access to a dietitian and sports psychologist, as well as a sports science laboratory with a full array of testing equipment, including an environmental chamber (one of only two in the country) which helps athletes prepare for international competitions in varying climates.

Scott Adams, General Manager of Carrus, presented the awards to the athletes on the night.

“I’m in awe of the massive talent that continues to come out of our region and out of the country ... it inspires all of our kids all over the country to see anyone can be a world champion, they just have to work hard at it and if you really put your mind to it and put your heart into it, you can accomplish anything,” Scott says.

“We're really proud as always to be in behind the Adams Academy,” he says.

“It’s not just about elite performance and fitness it’s also about recovery and it’s good to know if our young athletes get injured, they know that’s not the end for them, they can come in here and they can get better and they can come back stronger. That’s what I really like about it.”

2025 Adams Academy Award winners: 

• Industrial Athletic Athlete of the Year: Emma Diprose (Muay Thai/Kick Boxing)

• P3 Recovery Emerging Athlete of the Year: Jayden Murphy (Surf Life Saving) 

• Smith Sport Shoes Junior Emerging Athlete of the Year: Emma Merson (Squash) and Jaxon Woolley (Para Athletics) 

• Body In Motion Road to Recovery: Zion Samuels (Athletics) 

• Sustain Speed Nutrition Resilience Award: Maggie Hammond (Surf Life Saving) 

• Industrial Athletic Mahi Award: Cole Hulsebosch (Mountain Biking) 

• Diligence Certificates: Phoenix Ottesen (Mountain Biking), Ryan Addison (Hockey), Kodi Grant (Hockey), Millie Dyck (Surfing), Jack Lord (Squash), Marshall Flint (Cricket), Harry Burns (Cricket), Bryn Roberton (Cricket), and Oliver Norwood (Cricket) 

• Outstanding Performance: Lulu Miller (Gymnastics), Vihan Chatbury (Squash), Jessie Speedy (Mountain Running), Dan Shanahan (Surf Life Saving), Taylor Thibeault-Moore (Football), Grace Richardson (Canoe Racing/Surf Life Saving), Kaitlyn Black (Athletics), Hannah Berry (Triathlon)

Scholarship Recipients: 

• Adams Academy 6 Month Scholarship: Conrad Visagie (Triathlon)  

• Adams Family 6 Month Scholarship: Michael Sutton (Mountain Running/ Athletics) 

• Adams Family 6 Month Scholarship: Andrea Lilley (Wakeboarding)