Street Talk | Jajaira Gonzalez
This week of 'Street Talk,’ JJ Anderson talks with 18-year-old female youth Olympian boxer, Jajaira Gonzalez, from Glendora, CA. Gonzalez comes from a long lineage of boxing, with a family comprised of two brothers who box, as well as a father who coaches all three of his children. When Gonzalez was just eight years old, her father (Jose de Jesus Gonzalez AKA Chuy), came home and announced that Jajaira would become a boxer like her brothers. Although she was a true “girly-girl,” the sport quickly grew on Gonzalez, especially when she realized she was coordinated and quick. By the time she was 18, Gonzalez won gold medals at the the Worlds in 2013, 2014, and 2015. She also won the gold at the 2014 Gold Olympics; ranked #1 in the world for her weight and age division; is a three-time amateur world champion; is the first and only female in the U.S. to win a medal at the youth Olympic games; and is the first female in the U.S. to win back-to-back world titles. Gonzalez has made extreme sacrifices like missing her senior year of high school, and separating from her family for nearly a year to train for the Olympics, however her main goal is to get the gold medal at the Olympics in Rio, Brazil. If we haven’t convinced you yet of Gonzalez’s heroic talent, then take a look at her video here.