PHOTO SUBMITTED BY RASHIDA ELLIS
Lynn English graduate Rashida Ellis is training for the final stages of the U.S. Women’s National Golden Gloves.
By JOSHUA KUMMINS
LYNN — Lynn has a proud and storied history in a variety of sports.
Now, local boxer Rashida Ellis is happy to be adding her name to that history.
Ellis, who graduated from Lynn English two years ago, is in the final stages of preparation for the U.S. Women’s National Golden Gloves, which runs from July 4-9 in Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
Ellis has not had such a stage to on which to compete in the past, as she has not had an opponent in her weight class (132 pounds) at the famed Lowell Golden Gloves, a qualifying event for the national bouts.
This year’s U.S. Women’s National event is an open tournament, giving Ellis the opportunity to fight.
“Any female fighter who has 10 fights or more can qualify to go. I never have anyone to fight (in Lowell), so they never put me on the bout sheet,” Ellis said. “This year, I’m thankful it’s an open tournament so I can go and experience it for the first time.”
Ellis has been boxing for 10 years and has a wealth of experience at the amateur level. She also competed at the 2016 U.S. Olympic Trials last October, finishing second.
She knows that her vast experience will help as she takes on Women’s National Golden Gloves for the first time, a key step in her career. However, there is a bit of uncertainty about what her road to another title will look like.
“I’ve been boxing for 10 years, so I’m very experienced,” Ellis said. “But I’m not sure who’s going to show up or how many people are going to be in my weight class this year. We’ll find out the day of registration, which is July 4.”
Ellis trains six days a week. She can usually be found at Lynn’s Private Jewels Fitness — a USA Boxing-certified training facility, on Summer Street — three days a week.
Owner Alex Sepulveda has been working with Ellis for about a year at Private Jewels’ most recent, bigger location.
Sepulveda and his brother and business partner Yamil have seen great growth in their prized fighter, even in such a short amount of time.
“Her strength and her speed are definitely up there,” Alex Sepulveda said. “She definitely started getting involved in more strength and conditioning since she’s been coming here. She’s learned to adapt to her own way of training, and it’s just made her a better fighter overall.”
Strength and conditioning are the bread and butter of Private Jewels. Although Alex Sepulveda says Ellis is in the best shape they have seen, she owes a lot to brothers Ronald and Rashidi — both accomplished boxers themselves — in terms of making her into a tough fighter.
“They helped me a lot and toughened me up when I was younger,” Ellis said. “They’ve been very supportive of me, tell me what I’m doing wrong and what I’m doing right. They’ll yell at me, but in a good way, to make me become the best.”
Twice a week, on Mondays and Thursdays, Ellis takes group classes at Private Jewels and also instructs a youth boxing class. Ellis is especially busy these days as she finishes training for Women’s National Golden Gloves, but also understands the importance of giving back to the community.
“I’m born in Lynn, raised in Lynn,” Ellis said. “These kids here, I’m an example to them, to get them off the streets, come here and have fun.”
She may be a boxer aiming to reach the highest level, but she’ll always remember where she came from.
She’s an example, a role model.
“Right now, it’s mostly about me focusing on my fight and getting ready for that, but I’m still coming here to teach the kids of Lynn,” Ellis said. “I have to know what I’m doing in order to train these kids. It makes me feel like a grown-up.”
The ultimate goal, she said, is obviously to win, but just as important is fighting her best and making her hometown proud.
“My goal is to go in there and just fight all I have,” Ellis said. “I want to show everybody who I am.”
Joshua Kummins can be reached at [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @JoshuaKummins.