Boxing entered the life of Beatriz Ferreira when she was just four years old and the training sessions took place in the garage of her own home. Now, 27 years after her first workout, the Brazilian, whose father is twice Brazil boxing champion Raimundo Oliveira Ferreira, will compete for the gold of the Paris 2024 Olympics in the lightweight category.
Father converted their garage into an insane gym when the family moved into a poor neighborhood in Salvador, a city in the state of Bahia in the north of the country. “Dad gathered the garage and hung the punching bag. Neighboring children were bringing our gloves.
This was valuable for him because he wanted the streets to be safer for us ”, – Beatriz told Reuters during a break between sparring at the Brazilian Boxing Association training center. She went on and decided to train with the Olympic team, so she moved to Sao Paulo.
“I did not have anyone in Sao Paulo, but there was a dream and well-earned money from boxing. I trained with the Olympic team – and this was a valuable experience ”, – says Beatriz. Suddenly, the money ran out, but she didn’t give up and invited her to become a reserve for the Olympics.
“This was an honorary matter, and I felt like a high-performance athlete,” said Ferreira of her experience. It’s hard to argue what the girl has achieved.
