Jennifer Lozano: The Texas "Troublemaker" inspiring women to chase their dreams
The USA boxing star exclusively tells Olympics.com how she broke female boxing stereotypes in her hometown after being bullied, and why she has a new motivation ahead of the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Boxing
The nickname 'La Traviesa' - 'The Troublemaker' - is one that USA boxing star Jennifer Lozano wears with pride.
It came from her late grandmother, who was also one of the young fighter's greatest inspirations.
“My grandma gave me the nickname because I was a really reckless kid,” Lozano told Olympics.com.
“It was perfect for when I started to take boxing seriously because I was a troublemaker in the ring too. I would tell off the boys, and they wouldn’t want to spar with me no more or get in the ring with me.
“I make sure I'm as much of a troublemaker as I can be every time I box, the way I put my gloves up, the way I move, I show off, I'm cocky in there! That's how I represent that nickname, because it's for her. And that's how I fight.”
Jennifer Lozano (R) on her way to an opening win in the women's 50kg boxing competition at the 2023 Pan American Games
Fighting against 'machismo' culture in Laredo
As a young girl with Mexican roots living in Texas border town Laredo, Lozano was bullied for being overweight and speaking Spanish.
Subsequently, she learned how to box in order to defend herself.
“After school I would fight on the street and it got to a point where I didn't want to get pushed around anymore, so I joined a boxing gym on the South Side, close to my house,” she recalled.
“But back in the day, there was a culture that women shouldn't box. Especially being from a town that isn’t on the map, there's a lot of 'machismo' there. It’s all about the men while women are in the kitchen and things like that.
“So I started boxing and started losing weight, which gave me that passion of wanting to compete. My mum asked the coach if I could and, of course, he said, ‘No. You're still fat, you're still a girl and girls will never box’.
"That shattered me. It broke me. But my mom saw something in me that I didn't see in myself at the time.”
Despite trying several other sports, Lozano could not find the same level of enjoyment, and returned to the ring at the Boxing Pride gym.
But this time, surrounded by encouraging coaches who also saw her potential, it was a different story.
“Within a few months they were like, ‘Oh my gosh, would you like to be part of our competition team?’ And I was like, ‘Yes of course, sign me up!’
“And so ever since then, whenever I’ve been winning, or I've been losing, whether I've had good days or bad days, I've been through it all with the people at that same gym.
Jenny Lozano - aka 'La Traviesa' - receives support from her family at the Pan American Games 2023
As well as improving her physical shape, boxing improved Lozano’s mental state.
It gave her confidence, and made her ‘a more stable and healthy person’.
The fighter's purpose also evolved, and wanted to achieve things beyond defending herself.
After so many years of being doubted and denied opportunities in the ring, she wanted to inspire other women to chase their dreams too.
“Another aspect of my life that has changed completely is that I now want other people to change their lives for better, even when they think they can't do it,” she said.
“Especially women, not just in boxing, but in anything they aspire to do. It's possible because, in my city, growing up a lot of people didn't believe in me.
“Sponsors didn't want to sponsor me because I was a female. I lost a lot of opportunities. I lost a lot of things that could have happened if I was a man.
“It was really sad because I had to miss out on tournaments because we didn't have enough money. I had to miss our national tournaments and rankings and all these experiences, but I kept working my butt off. I never gave up.
“But when I did win belts, I’d bring it to my school the next day and show it to my friends, my peers, everybody, just trying to inspire them and show that it was possible.
“Every doubter, every person who thought I wasn't going to make it... I wanted to prove people wrong. I was tired of being pushed around.” - Jennifer Lozano to Olympics.com
Jennifer Lozano looks up to Floyd Mayweather
This steely determination to silence the doubters helps explain why Lozano’s boxing hero is USA legend Floyd Mayweather Jr.
The undefeated pro boxer and Atlanta 1996 bronze medallist is considered one of the greatest pugilists of all time, but Lozano initially failed to warm to his often arrogant demeanour.
But as soon as she started boxing, and realised what he was fighting against, she found herself being able to relate to him.
“He came from nothing and people called him cocky,” she said. “When I was little I thought the same thing, because I didn’t understand his mentality.
“But the more I grew, the more I realised that he was doing something amazing despite being constantly doubted by people. So many people don't want to see him succeed.
“So now it's like, ‘OK, now I see.’ Because I've been through that too. He’s a legend for sure.”
Silencing doubters at the Olympic Games
Lozano has already made history of her own as the first female to box for the USA from Laredo, but her mission is nowhere near complete.
If she were to make it to Paris 2024, not only would she be able to inspire even more people, but it would be another lesson to those doubters.
“It would mean everything, absolutely everything, to become the first female Olympian from Laredo,” she said.
“Since I was a kid, I had this dream. I've always said it in my head because, as soon as you say something out loud, people start attacking you and pushing you down.
“I knew nothing about how to get there, I just knew that if I kept on winning then somehow it's going to happen.
“I could prove so many people wrong and be inspiring to so many women and girls and boys and everybody in Laredo to that, proving that the impossible is possible.”