december-2009

ALICIA GUTIERREZ, 15
JUNIOR OLYMPIC STATE CHAMPION
HEIGHT: 5' 4" • WEIGHT: 125 lbs
AMATEUR RECORD: 3–2
HOMETOWN: PARK RIDGE, ILLINOIS
she’s punched her way to Illinois State
U.S. Champion and a national ranking
in the light fl yweight division. Despite
her bluster, the stats surprise her. “I was
the little girl who would skin her knee
and run to hide behind my dad,” she says.
“Now the same dad I hid behind is my
coach, always encouraging me.”
Once known as “Scrawny Sam,”
Guzman told her parents she wanted
to box back in 2005, after three years
competing in gymnastics. “I remember
my dad telling me that you don’t ‘play’
boxing. You ‘play’ soccer. You ‘play’
basketball. But this is boxing. You can
get hurt.” Her parents tried to talk her
out of it, even taking Samantha to a
showing of Clint Eastwood’s Oscarwinning
weeper Million Dollar Baby,
which doesn’t end well for the main
character, a scrappy female boxer. The
fi lm was meant to dissuade her, but the
plan backfi red.
HEMISPHERES.COM
DECEMBER 2009
“I saw that movie and knew right then
and there I wanted to get into that ring,”
she says. “I think people inherently don’t
like women hitting each other. I happen
to enjoy it.”
Turns out she’s not the only one;
a number of young competitors are
preparing for the games. “In the last few
months, we’ve already seen more and
more female boxers working to shift their
weight so they fall into one of the three
categories,” says Christy Halbert, head
of the U.S.A. Boxing women’s task force.
“Of course, we were disappointed that
they are only off ering the three weight
classes. The men have ten. Hopefully the
remaining ones will be added in 2016.”
In London, women will compete at
fl yweight (105–112 pounds), lightweight
(123–132 pounds) and middleweight
(152–165 pounds). With four medals
awarded in each class, a little math
shows there’s enough room for only
TIFFANY PEREZ, 20
CHICAGO GOLDEN GLOVES CHAMPION (THREE YEARS RUNNING)
HEIGHT: 4' 11" • WEIGHT: 119 lbs
AMATEUR RECORD: 35–6
HOMETOWN: HAMMOND, INDIANA
12 female boxers from around the
world to make it to the podium. By
comparison, 40 medals will be handed
out to the men.
“Just twelve women out of the entire
world?” exclaims Guzman, who’s old
enough to know that her only shot at the
Olympics will be in London. “That’s not
an Olympic Games, that’s an exhibition!
For us, the world championships are
more like the Olympics than the actual
Olympics will be. Of course, I’m pretty
psyched we’ll get the chance.”
Halbert isn’t convinced it’s merely an
exhibition. “These boxers are going to
have to perform at the top of every level
before they get to London,” she says.
“The top echelon in their weight classes,
then the top echelons internationally.
But I think that no matter how they do,
just participating in this fi ght to make
the very fi rst female Olympic team is an
impressive part of sports history.”
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