x
Breaking News
More () »

Toledo boxer Oshae Jones preparing for Olympics through hardship

Jones has traveled the world to fight, but now she's ready to take her biggest leap yet. She will be representing the United States in the Tokyo Olympics this year.

TOLEDO, Ohio — Toledo has become home to so many world-class boxers. 

The latest in that long line of talented fighters is Oshae Jones and she's ready to represent her country on the world's biggest stage.

From a young age, Jones didn't really have much of a choice. She was born to fight.

Her dad and brother would bring her to the gym while they trained and at first, she wasn't open to the idea, but it didn't take long to convince her. 

"'No I don't want to box. I don't want to get hit,'" said Jones. "First day I go in there I spar and beat a girl up and it was just natural. I was just a natural so it was just expected of me to continue."

"Boxing chose me. This is what I was supposed to do," said Jones. "I don't know how, I don't know why, but I had to make it work.

Jones has traveled the world to fight. She took gold in the Pan-Am Games in 2019, but now she's ready for her biggest leap yet. 

She is ready to represent the United States at the Olympics in Tokyo later this year.

"I really don't think it hit me yet because I still feel like a normal, average person," said Jones. "I just feel like if I could do it, anybody can do it."

For Jones, all those dreams of the Olympics were almost ripped away last month. Her home in Toledo caught fire while she was sleeping. 

"Woke up to a lot of kicks at the door, kicked down the door, and a loud scream like, 'Get out the house, it's on fire,'" said Jones. "We got out at the perfect time. I could've died. I could've lost my life that night. I'm traumatized. I keep smelling the fire everywhere I go. It's scary."

Jones lost trophies and belts in the fire and she was at her lowest point, but then the call came from Team USA. 

After five long, emotional days she found out she was headed to the Olympics. 

"For those five days it was really depressing," said Jones. "It's just a blessing. God heard me praying."

Before You Leave, Check This Out