As Juan Juarez faced his opponent, he was nervous. However, he held himself with a confidence that served as a positive force behind his triumph during the boxing match.
Juarez, a Pierce College nursing major, became a finalist in the Golden Glove Welterweight boxing challenge on Saturday, March 15, at the Pasadena Recreation Center. The prestigious challenge brings together amateur boxers to compete annually.
Juarez expressed his feelings about making it far in the Golden Glove Challenge and spoke about his future goals.
“It felt really good, I was training for three months for this one thing. My arm was hurting,” Juarez said. “I had a torn bicep and fought with it. I won twice in two knockouts. I want to go to the Olympics, which starts in three years. I have to work very hard to go to the Olympics.”
Juarez said his greatest inspiration for being strong and pursuing boxing has been his life experiences that drove him to the path of boxing.
“I wanted to become a fighter because my sister had a boyfriend who used to raise hands on her,” Juarez said. “He talked about women in a certain way, and I had to defend my sister and learn how to box and fight.”
Juarez said he has always been an optimist about his strength and being an athlete.
“I was a good off-route. I just needed to learn the technique and everything,” Juarez said. “I was already athletic and strong and had a boost of confidence.”
During the match, despite being nervous, Juarez kept calm and knocked his opponent down.
“I was kind of nervous because I didn’t know his power,” Juarez said. “However, as soon as I felt him, I stayed calm and kept on counting him until he was knocked out.”
Sade Thompson, Juarez’s mother, described him as having a dedicated work ethic and a commitment to boxing.
“He has an injury on his arm, and despite that, he still managed to obtain a knockout,” Thompson said. “He is resilient, always working out hard, no matter what the weather is. He always makes sure that he stays on task, he works, goes to school, and boxes, and he is very dedicated.”
Thompson spoke about how Juarez has grown as a boxer and as a person.
“It taught him how to shift his energy instead of being upset,” Thompson said. “He found a positive outlet to release his frustration and turning negative energy into positive.”
According to Juarez, the toughest part of being an athlete is showing up every day.
“The hardest part is being consistent, getting tired, feeling sick, and your arm hurts,” Juarez said. “Despite that, you have to go every day if you want to be better.”
Juarez’s coach Brandon Krause also believes that the difficult part of boxing is to keep going. But he said Juarez continues to push himself.
“The toughest part is just keeping it up anytime, it’s a boxer’s journey,” Krause said. “He could have given up, but he hasn’t, and he continues to strive, and he’s seen the fruits of his labor.”
