Claressa who?

It was back in February when I happened to catch a story on NPR about a boxer from Flint, Michigan named Claressa Shields. Other than boxing movies, which I love, I had zero interest in boxing at the time. Something about this interview moved me, and I started following Claressa's progress. Her dream was to make the 2012 Olympics team, and to bring home a gold medal. Fast forward to yesterday, August 9th. She did it! The 17 year-old won the gold medal. Now I'll skip the part where I complain about the fact the the fight wasn't on tv and I had to follow it on someone's Twitter feed. It was still so exciting! She made history as the first woman to win a gold medal in boxing (this is the first year women's boxing was an Olympic event). So this brings me to the question I've been mulling over since then: What is it about her that converts one who is normally indifferent about sports into a bona fide "fan"? The answer, in a word, is STORY. She has a great one. She started from humble beginnings, which you can hear more about in the NPR piece. That alone is enough to make me root for her. It's always refreshing to find a teenager who succeeds through talent and hard work, without having every advantage that gives them that all too common sense of entitlement. She has an endearing sort of self-confidence that is stereotypical of a boxer; some might call her "cocky" and she might agree. Her sense of confidence comes from within, apparently, because it certainly doesn't come from the media shouting about how she's the next big thing. In fact the only mention of her I could find online until this week was the NPR story and an article in the Detroit Free Press. Now if you Google her name, she is everywhere! Claressa is not a typical "elite" athlete. She has not been groomed; in fact, she is a little rough around the edges. She is not accustomed to boxing on an international stage, or having cameras in her face. You have to imagine the whole Olympics experience is beyond larger-than-life to her, as opposed to athletes who have competed in World Championships or other huge events. It must feel like a dream. Instant stardom! I'll bet she was relatively unknown in her own hometown, and now everyone from her neighborhood is going to talk like they've been her #1 fan for years! I would too! Congratulations Claressa!