Maka was born in Auckland, New Zealand,[1] and educated at Rodney College in Wellsford.[2] She began boxing at the age of 11, training against boys as there were no girls to train with.[3] At the age of 16 she competed in the 2010 Oceania Boxing Championships and the 2010 AIBA Women's World Boxing Championships in Barbados.[3] She then contested the 2011 world championships in Turkey.[2]