ARVIN, Calif. (KERO) — Last month 23ABC introduced you to a female boxer from Bakersfield who at the age of 12 has already won three major championships. But she's only getting started. She's been training with her sister, preparing to compete in this weekend's Junior Olympics.
Bakersfield’s cosmic duo Estrella and Luna Valadez have been training for the Junior Olympics at their gym in Arvin all month long and together, the sisters plan to make a difference in boxing for other young girls like them.
“It seems very like, inspiring for like young females so they could start it too,” said Luna.
Luna Valadez began fighting during the pandemic. She says the lockdown made it more difficult for her to find fights, especially with so few girls in the sport.
“I don’t really get girls in my brackets, so I’ve just had my first fight around two weeks ago, and it was a first-round stoppage, so it meant a lot to me because I finally got to fight.”
She says she always enjoyed sports growing up and participating in activities that challenged her. So after seeing the challenges of training when Estrella joined the gym she decided to start fighting with her.
And when the sisters get together to spar, Luna says they have fun in the ring, always improving together.
“It’s never really personal. It’s more funny. We just make fun of each other sometimes,” explained Luna.
Both Luna and Estrella say because they fight similarly they learn from each other and pick up new skills while training together.
“She hits hard. Whenever I spar her, that’s why I try to hit her and then move, but I don’t try to hit her that hard because hopefully she doesn’t get mad and start coming towards me because she hits hard,” laughed Estrella.
Estrella says she enjoys sharing the moments before their matchups and talking with Luna about boxing. And Estrella says she’s looking forward to their future in the sport together.
“It’s important for us because there’s a lot of people that don’t believe in girls that can do the sport and then are sisters, especially sisters. It’s just important to put a name out there.”
The girls’ coach, Daniel Alcala, says the sisters keep each other sharp. And he says because there are not a lot of girl fights, Luna continues to work her way up to a national ranking. He says he’s excited to see them compete this weekend because they always put on a show.
“I expect a lot from her because she’s just as talented as her sister, and it’s pretty exciting to have two girls that are already putting in like that - as sisters also.”
During spring break, the girls trained with Alcala twice a day and this week they completed a 7.3 mile run in Tehachapi after their gym workout to prepare for the Junior Olympics.
Alcala says he expects the girls to do well at this weekend’s competition because of their teachability.
“I yell at my kids all the time, other boxers, this is why the girls win because they listen. I could coach them through a whole fight. Throw your right hand. Throw a jab. They’ll do it right when I say it, so if you listen it’s easier.”
“He just knows what to do for us to get better," said Luna. "So we just do whatever he tells us because he just sees it. He just knows.”
The girls will fight in the Central California Junior Olympics competition this weekend. Following the competition, they will train for the national competition in Lubbock, Texas in June.
