Story by Marianne Salza
Thirteen-year-old boxer, Elijah Garcia, of East Boston, won gold at the Copa Olympica international tournament in Puerto Rico on September 27. Elijah was among 20 elite fighters selected to compete from the New England area, and is especially proud of his accomplishment.
“It was crazy. It got the nerves going,” smiled Elijah. “The atmosphere and cheering were loud. They call you up to the podium and wrap the Olympic medal around your neck. That was really cool.”
Elijah presented the medal to his beaming abuelito, who joined him and his parents on his first trip to Puerto Rico, where Elijah was introduced to members of his family that he had never met before.
Elijah appreciates that his parents, Ricardo and Rachel — who also serve as his coaches — are on this journey alongside him.
“They keep me on track and motivated. I enjoy it,” said Elijah, an 8th grade student at Excel Academy. “I like the relationship of having parents as coaches. The bond is different.”
Elijah’s strict regimen starts immediately after school is dismissed. Once Elijah finishes his homework, he eats a low-carbohydrate dinner prepared by his mother before the family heads to USA Boxing New England Private Jewels Boxing Club, in Lynn, owned by Alex Sepulveda, a pivotal figure in Elijah’s boxing career.
“When all other kids are hanging out after school, and doing things on the weekend, eating junk food, Elijah is in the gym, training hard, on a strict diet, doing his school work, and there are never any complaints from him,” noted Rachel about her son’s dedication. “I think he’s an extraordinary young man.”
Elijah trains at the gym for three hours six days a week, commuting to Western Massachusetts, Connecticut, and Rhode Island to spar during the weekends. He isolates different muscle groups each day, and his favorite warm-ups include jumping rope, shadowboxing, and hitting a punching bag.
“He’s taught me the definition of hard work,” Rachel emphasized. “He’s humble. After every fight, he always goes to the other corner and gives love to the other coaches and his opponent.”
Ricardo is impressed by the focus of his son, whose passion for boxing began at the age of three. Grinning warmly, Richardo remembered kissing Elijah’s hand whenever he injured himself during mitt sessions.
“He teaches us, as coaches, to better ourselves,” noted Ricardo. “The better we are, the more we can help him. He keeps us on our toes. His spirit is uplifting.”
Some of Elijah’s first memories of boxing were pad workouts with his father, and winning his first fight in the boxing ring.
Today, the disciplined, high-energy teenager often continues his workout in his home gym, and can be heard grunting and hollering as he punches a speed bag or practices while wearing his virtual reality headset.
Elijah loves to spar, and listens to “Champion,” by Kanye West, to hype him before he competes.
“Everything leaves your mind. It’s meditative,” described Elijah, who relaxes in the shower to mellow music by Daniel Caesar. “You go inside a ring and everything cuts out. It’s you and your opponent. It gets you going.”
He values spending time with his teammates, and, most especially, with his sparring partner, best friend, and fellow video-gamer, Santi.
“It’s a tight-knit community,” said Ricardo. “There are not a lot of people who do boxing, unfortunately. It’s not as popular as other sports. The work ethic is a lot, so there is a lot of respect among those who are involved.”
Elijah is currently training to participate in the Silver Gloves Tournament in Missouri on November 16, a competition in which he is the reigning 80-pound champion in the Region 1 (MA, CT, RI, NJ, NY) division. December 6-13 he will be competing in the USA Boxing National Championship, in Texas, a pathway to professional teams and the Olympics.