At the Lompoc Boxing Club, 18-year-old Emma Nayanet is training for a chance to be on the 2024 Team USA Olympic squad, a dream she’s had since she was 8-years old.
The dedication and the hours spent in the gym since she was six-years-old are now paying off for Nayanet as she prepares for the biggest fight of her career: the USA Boxing National Championships.
“She asked, 'Dad, I want to go to Olympics.' I don't know how to answer. I don't know the answer to that question,” Emma's father and coach Utai Nayanet recalled of a conversation him and his daughter had when she was eight.
For Utai, it might’ve been a question mark then but it’s a real possibility now after Emma won the Last Chance National Qualifier in September to secure a Wildcard spot at the Olympic qualifiers.
“It doesn't feel real sometimes, but at the same time, I'm not even nervous because I've been kind of doing this my whole life,” Emma said.
From the first time she stepped into the ring, she was hooked.
“Once I had my first fight and I kind of ripped off that Band-Aid. I just wanted to keep fighting and keep winning.”
In the beginning of her fighting career, due to limited resources, Emma had to spar with the boys at the gym in order to improve.
“They would always put me in there with them boys my age and I started to just like beating them up, I guess,” Emma laughed.
“A lot of times Emma's usually sparring our top guys here," Utai explained. "So it's been working.”
While Emma’s skills have improved so has the balancing act between the father-daughter and coach-athlete relationship that at one point was contentious but now has blossomed into something truly special.
“Honestly, it means a lot because we were able to push through that and get on that level,” Emma said.
“My job is to fill those gaps and build that base and for her to build a bridge to cross over and do what she wants to do.”
Emma's ultimate goal is to compete for Team USA and be one of the top boxers in the country. To get there, she knows that her dad has helped with the mindset and skillset required to achieve that goal.
“She'll tell you to this day that, 'my dad will throw me into the ring with a gorilla if he could,' Utai said. "When you're at the Olympic level, all those girls are vicious.”
While the tournament may feature nationally ranked girls that have been in the spotlight at national tournaments for a majority of their boxing career, Emma doesn’t have that luxury and she’s excited for her background to shine on the national stage.
“There hasn't been anyone from Lompoc that has gone and done something like this, so I'm excited to be able to put Lompoc on the map.”
“She’s proven herself this year so now it's time to fight the best in the country and let's see where we stand.”
Emma and Utai Nayanet head to Lafayette, Louisiana for the USA Boxing National Championships Friday, Dec. 1. Her first fight will be Tuesday, Dec. 5.
