Photo By Sgt. 1st Class Henry Marris | Pfc. Jesse Cervantes, a boxer with the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program, works on...... read more read more
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Today, you can find that young boy, now an infantryman in the U.S. Army, chasing his dreams inside the boxing ring.
Pfc. Jesse Cervantes, formerly assigned to Company C, 2nd Battalion, 12th Infantry Regiment, 2nd Infantry Brigade Combat Team, 4th Infantry Division, stepped into the gym Oct. 24, 2016, for boxing practice in preparation for his next tournament as one of the newest members of the U.S. Army World Class Athlete Program (WCAP).
The super heavyweight boxer started honing his boxing ability years before he joined the Army.
“When I was younger, I hated being in the gym, but my dad kept me in the gym,” he said. “He saw something in me I didn’t see at the time, and I eventually started loving it.”
Although he originally didn’t like the sport, it would eventually take him on a path not many Soldiers get to travel.
Cervantes started his Army boxing career with the All-Army Boxing Team, winning a gold medal at the national competition. He went on to compete in the National Association of Police Athletic/Activities League Boxing tournament in June 2016, where he won a bronze medal. Both medals would prove to be of added benefit when he applied to WCAP. To enroll in the WCAP boxing program, applicants must win at the All-Army national tournament or place in a national- level tournament. Once in WCAP, Soldier-athletes must meet benchmarks coaches set for them with the ultimate goal of qualifying for the Olympics.
Staff Sgt. Marquez Reyes, WCAP assistant boxing coach, said Cervantes has a desire to learn and is quick to implement instruction from the coaches.
“Every day in practice … if he knows he is doing something wrong and we tell him, he is quick to change it and get it right,” Reyes said. “In boxing it is very important to learn. If you are stubborn and don’t like change, you won’t succeed.”
Although Cervantes’ main focus now is becoming a better boxer, he said he relies on things he learned during his Army initial entry training to help him inside the ring.
“Being an 11B (infantryman) in the Army, you carry a lot of pride, hard work and dedication. When you get up in the morning, you focus on the task at hand and you work,” Cervantes said. “No matter where you are, it’s hard work and dedication — if you don’t do that, you fail.”
| Date Taken: | 10.16.2016 |
| Date Posted: | 01.25.2017 17:26 |
| Story ID: | 221397 |
| Location: | FORT CARSON, CO, US |
| Web Views: | 156 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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