Photo taken by Danielle Sepulveres

“Long before she was interested in boxing, I told her that she could do anything a boy could.”

These were the words spoken by Pedro Silva and taken to heart by his daughter Jesselyn. Currently eleven years old, Jesselyn (or Jesszilla as her friends call her) is a Smart Girl who first discovered she liked boxing at the age of seven while watching her father learn the sport. In between letting us watch her do some shadow boxing (sparring with an imaginary opponent) she sat down to tell us all about her Olympic dreams and advice she’d give any girls who are being told they’re partaking in a “boy’s world.”

Photo taken by Danielle Sepulveres

Jesselyn talks about how inspired she is by Claressa Shields, the first American woman to win a gold medal for boxing as well as the first American boxer ever to win the gold in two consecutive Olympic Games. Women were historically not allowed to compete in sanctioned matches, a ban that was lifted in 1993. And for the first time, women’s boxing became an Olympic event at London’s 2012 summer games which is when Claressa Shields won the gold in the middleweight division.

When it comes to kids at school not understanding her choice of after school activity, she says their negativity “just pushes me to work harder at the gym towards my goals.” And that goal is to compete and win gold at the 2024 Olympic Games! As for people who tell her that boxing isn’t a girls’ sport?

“I would say take a look at Claressa Shields. She won two gold medals, I’d like to see you try to win two gold medals for boxing! I bet you that they’d say they can’t do that. But you know what? I can do that.”

The advice that Jesselyn would give any other girl interested in boxing who is intimidated by the ratio of male to female within the sport?

“Don’t worry what other people say. I don’t worry what other people say. If people are going to make fun of you, it’s just going to motivate you to do better. Just keep pushing to reach your goals and don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t.”

Jess assures us that she never gets scared in the ring, just some butterflies right before a match. More than anything else she thinks boxing is fun and is having a blast training to become as proficient and accomplished as she can be.

But she’s not just a boxer! Jesselyn is a Smart Girl who loves to draw and use her 3D doodler, she’s an honor roll student, getting an award for reading one million words in school and she plays soccer and wants to play baseball as well. We at Smart Girls think you’re amazing Jesselyn and are rooting for you to achieve all your dreams!

Photo taken by Danielle Sepulveres

Jesselyn was also profiled in a documentary called Girl Boxer by Emily Sheskin as part of the New York Times Op-Docs. Make sure to check it out!