CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Several Gyms in the Coastal Bend sent a few young boxers to the USA Boxing National Championships in Lafayette, LA last week.
Two of them have returned home as champions.
“I was happy, I was excited,” 11-year-old Analee Valadez said.
Valadez lives in Rockport but trains at Elite Fitness 361 with Jordan Pinney in Ingleside.
She's been boxing for a couple years and can now say she is a USA boxing National Champion in the intermediate 80 lbs. Division - a moment her and her family will never forget.
“Speechless. Real speechless. She works really hard for it, so I was really happy she won it. And, she pushed her self really hard to get it done,” Analee's father Juan Valadez said.
It’s her first national title, so how does her hometown of Rockport celebrate? By throwing her and her brother, also a boxer, a parade while they rode around town in a fire truck.
“I was kind of nervous because I don’t like being the sunshine, but now I was the sunshine,” she said.
Juan said the parade was put on by a friend, Steve Cantu.
“It’s not a school sport so they don’t really get no recognition for that. So, it was nice that he did that to get them a little bit of recognition for their town and school,” Juan said.
Analee said she had issues with her anger before taking up boxing. She's noticed a change in herself and so has Juan.
"She's changed completely. She had her times in elementary school. When she started coming here it really just changed her," Juan said.
Across the bay, there's another Coastal Bend native who won a National Championship.
Out of the Robstown Boxing Club that trains at London Fitness, Lailah Crenshaw took home a championship in the Bantam 70 lbs. Division.
“It’s really good because now everybody’s scared of me and they won’t mess with me,” Lailah jokingly said.
This is also her first national championship and she’s only been boxing for a year and a half.
“I was so happy for her man, she’s overcome so much adversity, just getting to the fight," Robert Vela, the head coach of Robstown Boxing Club said. "She had a lot of things going on outside the ring and she’s so happy to just fight through it. And, it almost got close to a point where she didn’t go to nationals because the things that were happening outside."
Young in her career, Lailah has found a passion and is dedicated. She said she’s in the gym every day.
“I have to miss like birthday parties, school events,” she said.
"The dedication she puts in the gym, it speaks for itself. She don't miss. Not even sick, I mean it don't matter, she gets dropped off. She don't like to go on family vacations because she wants to be in the gym. To me a little girl with that kind of love for boxing, it's unique," Vela said.
Lailah picked up boxing because it runs in her family. She said she's seen her father and uncles box.
Not only are Analee and Lailah National Champion boxers, but they know each other too.
“It’s awesome because her and Lailah are sparing partners," Vela said. "So, they spared each other various rounds preparing for nationals. And, they end up at nationals, two different weight classes and then they come back national champions."
The two girls also share the same dream to make it to the Olympics one day.
Now it’s back to the bags. Analee and Lailah are in their respective gyms training for their matches in 2024.
For more sports coverage click here, or follow our Friday Night Fever Facebook or KRIS 6 Sports Twitter.
