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Latina Teen Boxers From The Valley Are Dominating Their Sport

PHOTOGRAPHS BY TEXTLI GALLEGOS, 18, LAS FOTOS PROJECT
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California Sunday Magazine
Sandra Tovar of Turlock hopes to make the U.S. Olympic Team in 2020

The San Joaquin Valley has a rich boxing tradition, dating back generations. Before he ran a popular bar in downtown Fresno, Young Corbett III was the world welterweight champion in the 1930’s. Today, Avenal’s Jose Ramirez is one of the sport’s rising stars. But at a gym in Southeast Fresno, local teen boxer Sandra Tovar is already at the top of her field, and has her sights set on an even bigger goal – the U.S. Olympic team, and the 2020 Tokyo summer games. 

And she's not alone. Tovar is one of a number of local teen girls who are dominating their sport on a national level. Here to tell us more is journalist Megan Greenwell, who just profiled Tovar and Fresno’s America Berber area boxer in the most recent edition of the California Sunday Magazine. She joined us on Valley Edition to talk about the two young women and why the valley is producing so many talented female teen boxers. 

Joe Moore is the President and General Manager of KVPR / Valley Public Radio. He has led the station through major programming changes, the launch of KVPR Classical and the COVID-19 pandemic. Under his leadership the station was named California Non-Profit of the Year by Senator Melissa Hurtado (2019), and won a National Edward R. Murrow Award for investigative reporting (2022).