“It’s a lot more than just a win,” says 16-year-old Jacelle Hughes.
SAN ANTONIO — She may be soft-spoken in conversation, but when that bell rings, San Antonio’s own Jacelle Hughes roars.
A 16-year-old poised powerhouse, Hughes is preparing to represent her city on one of the biggest stages in youth boxing: the National Junior Olympics in Las Vegas. With gloves on and focus locked in, this amateur boxer is stepping into the ring not just to win—but to heal, to honor and to inspire.
“I’m going to be fighting at Nationals… the Junior Olympics,” she said with a shy smile. “It’s a pretty big fight in my opinion.”
She stepped in the ring for the first time to cope after being blindsided with tragic news.
“When she started out, she wasn’t being competitive,” said her father, Ricardo Medina, a former boxer himself. “This was just a sport to let off a little steam.”
But for the Medina family, boxing quickly became more than a pastime. It became a lifeline.
“Five years ago, my wife and I lost our 1-year-old son—her little brother,” Ricardo recalled. “After that, the family was broken. I remember sitting at the table and telling her, ‘You have to do something. Do you want to try softball or boxing?’ She said, ‘I’ll try out boxing.’ Within a month she had her first fight. Two months later, she was at Nationals.”
That turning point lit a fire in Jacelle, and her “why” became clear.
“My reason, my why, is my little brother,” she said. “It’s a lot more than just a win.”
With the big tournament just around the corner, Hughes is also facing one more fight: fundraising. The cost of traveling and competing is steep, and she’s hoping her community will help her cross the finish line.
“The tournaments are very expensive, honestly,” she admitted.
She’s only $1,500 away from reaching her goal and covering all expenses. She says that would take her one step closer to the main event and one giant leap toward her dream of boxing in the 2028 Olympics.
“It’d mean a lot to represent San Antonio,” she said.
To support Jacelle Hughes, donate to her GoFundMe campaign here.