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Samantha
Guzman of Chicago, Illinois, born December 18, 1989, recently won the
Women’s National Golden Gloves in the 106 lb. open division, on July 14,
2007.
Samantha became drawn to the sport of boxing at the age of 3, primarily due
to her father watching endless hours of boxing on television. Her father
Angel says, “ I wasn’t surprised when she decided to box because she was
always a good athlete, and has always been very competitive.” Samantha took
up gymnastics at the age of 7 and competed for over 3 years.
When discussing the change from gymnastics to
boxing Samantha says, “ I have never been a team player. I’ve always wanted
to compete in a sport that that would reward me for my hard work. In boxing,
you get what you train for, if you slack on conditioning you will get tired
and potentially lose your fight, but if you do everything you are supposed
to and can showcase your skill better than your opponents, you will reap the
benefits. I’m aggressive by nature and have always been drawn to the sport.”
At the age of 15, she started to box and quickly gained local, regional, and
national recognition. Since then, Samantha has accomplished the following;
2005 state of Illinois Silver Gloves champion, 2006 Junior Nationals silver
medalist, 2007 Chicago Golden Gloves champion, 2007 Women’s National Golden
Gloves champion.
When asked about her future in the sport she says, “ My main focus right now
is my education. After I graduate from high school, I plan to go to college
and major in journalism. Though, I only to plan on boxing competitively for
one more year, I will definitely try and stay connected to the sport in some
capacity.” Samantha dreams to one day sit ringside and do color commentating
on ESPN or HBO.
In addition to local and national print
coverage, Samantha has also been featured on Geraldo At Large
(October/December 2006). She was recently interviewed by Everlast and is
scheduled to be featured in their fall magalog.
* Samantha trains out of JABB
Gym in Chicago, and is coached by her father Angel Guzman. |
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