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Next Stop: Olympics
Boxer Jesselyn Silva, 14, won’t let anyone stop her from following her dream.
Courtesy Everlast
Tough Girl
Jesselyn practices by hitting a punching bag.
photo credit: Halawi/Shutterstock
photo credit: FXQuadro/SHutterstock
photo credit: Altrendo Images/Shutterstock
photo credit: Hill Street Studios/Getty
photo credit: fizkes/Shutterstock
When I first started boxing, it seemed like everyone had an opinion about it.
“You’ll ruin your pretty face,” they said.
“Girls are like flowers—they’re too
“Awwww, that’s so cute. The little girl wants to box!”
Most of this was just confusing to me. I was only 7 years old at the time. All I knew was that boxing was the most fun I’d ever had. And I wasn’t going to give it up for anybody.
A Rough Start
Jacket Photography copyright 2019 by Chris Crisman Cover design by Kelley Brady
Jesselyn wrote a book about her life!
I first fell in love with boxing in second grade. That’s when my dad started boxing at a local gym. He brought my brother and me along. I was interested right away. “I want to try it,” I said.
Boxing is a sport where two people punch each other while wearing padded gloves. But it’s more than just a fight—there are a lot of rules you have to follow.
At first, I practiced hitting pads held by my coach and hanging bags. After two months, it was time to
That didn’t last long.
I couldn’t get a hit in—he was so much bigger than me! I just got more and more frustrated. Pretty soon, tears were streaming down my face.
Every time I went back to my corner of the ring, my coach would ask me: “Do you want to quit?” Every time, I’d say no. My dad’s voice was in my head. Since I was little, he’s always told me: Silvas never quit.
The First Match
For a while, my sparring matches were all really hard. There weren’t any girls to spar with, and the boys were all bigger than me. But fighting them made me stronger. By my first competition at 9 years old, I was more than ready.
Right away, I could tell I was going to win. Now that my
Winning my first real match gave me a lot of confidence. I kept sparring with the boys, and I kept winning in competitions too. People stopped seeing me as the cute little girl just messing around. They started to see me as the serious athlete I am.
Fighting to Win
Left - Jesselyn got to meet her hero, champion boxer Claressa Shields.
Middle - When Jesselyn wins a match, the referee holds her hand up.
Right - Jesselyn works out a lot to stay strong.
Winning Big
Over the next couple of years, I entered more and more competitions. One of the biggest was the Junior Olympics. The first two years, I lost. But the third year—when I was 12—I was set on winning.
My first fight was against the girl who had won the past two years. Everyone knew she was the best. When I got into the ring, my heart was pounding. I thought back to my very first sparring match. I told myself how far I’d come. I looked into the crowd and saw my dad cheering me on. I knew I would win.
And I did! When the referee announced I was the champion, I jumped up and down. I watched my dad do the same thing in the stands. I felt so proud.
Family Strength
Courtesy of family
A Loving Family
Jesselyn’s dad and little brother have always supported her.
I’ve now won two national titles, and I’m ranked number one in two weight classes. My goal is to go to the Olympics in 2024 and win the gold.
People always ask me where I got my strength from. My answer: It’s in my blood. My grandparents came to the United States as immigrants looking for a better life. My dad has raised me and my
It’s OK if some people still look at me and just see a little girl. It’s OK if they don’t take me seriously at first. I know they’ll change their minds once they see me in the boxing ring.
ACTIVITY:
Cause and Effect
You’ve just read “Next Stop: Olympics.” Now it’s time to do this activity.
Tip: A cause is what makes something happen. An effect is what happens as a result.
What to do: Fill in the missing uses and effects below by writing your answers on a separate sheet of paper.
Cause: Why did something happen?
Effect: What happened?
Cause: When Jesselyn was in second grade, her dad joined a boxing gym.
Effect:
Hint: How did Jesselyn feel about boxing?
Cause:
Hint: Who did Jesselyn have to spar with?
Effect: Jesselyn became a stronger and better boxer.
Cause: After her first match, Jesselyn kept winning.
Effect:
Hint: How did people’s ideas about Jesselyn change?
Cause:
Hint: What challenges have people in Jesselyn’s life faced?
Effect: Jesselyn knows the importance of not giving up.
