Young boxer hopes to make 2012 Olympics
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In May, Adrian Jimenez will compete at the State Finals Junior Olympics in El Paso. If he advances in the state finals, Jimenez will compete at the national finals in North Carolina in June for a seven day tournament.
Adrian Jimenez is focused, inside and outside the ring.
The young boxer has just one thing on his mind, and that is to make the U.S. Olympic team in 2012.
His love for the ring came last year when he befriended a boxer from Soldiers for Christ boxing ministry.
“There was another boxer in school that I used to talk to and he introduced me to the team,” he said.
The boxing ministry was created nine years ago by Michael Zavala, who wanted to help the youth learn how to box and to teach them the word of God.
The ministry teaches discipline, stability and even spiritual boxing, Zavala said.
The ministry does not use any form of advertisement. The kids hear about the boxing team through word of mouth, he said.
Zavala trains a total of 11 boxers ages 10- to 30-year-olds and has a waiting list of 100 interested boxers that are waiting to be trained by him.
Jimenez remembers the first time he was in the ring.
“I was talking trash to the other boxer, trying for him to put the gloves on me and after he did he gave me a punch,” he said.
That caused him to drop to the floor, he said.
“He got me with one body shot, and it amazed me at how he could do that,” said the Bay City high school sophomore.
He has been interested in learning more about the sport ever since.
It has been a year and Jimenez has competed in seven different boxing matches throughout the state of Texas, including the 2010 Southeast Texas Golden Gloves in Houston.
A few weeks ago, he fought in the Ultimate Warriors Boxing Club show in Houston. He competed against a boxer who had 16 fights under his belt.
In May, Jimenez will compete at the State Finals Junior Olympics in El Paso.
“He has an excellent chance of going all the way,” said Zavala, who has been coaching Jimenez for a year.
If he advances in the state finals, Jimenez will compete at the national finals in North Carolina in June for a seven-day tournament.
This is where he fights each state champion in his weight division, Zavala said.
“He has come a long way in a year,” Zavala said. “He is fighting boxers who have more than 100 fights under their belts.”
Dedicating himself to boxing is what is going to get him to the top, Jimenez said.
Attending high school full time and working part time at Taco Bell, he said he wants to work hard to achieve his goals.
“It got to a point when I realized that to be the best, I have to give it my all,” he said.