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A Class of Her Own: Faith Gomez, Stockton’s Newest Rising Star

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“Discipline and a strong mindset are the key,” 14-year-old Faith Gomez asserted. She wakes up at 3:00 a.m. to start her day, and while most people are asleep in their beds, Faith heads to the gym to complete a two-hour intensive workout that often involves strength training and conditioning. Returning home, she eats a protein-based breakfast and gets ready for school by 8:00 a.m. only to go back to the gym right after school for another two-hour session of training and sparring.

Sacrifice and mastery such as these have paid off. As the 2023 USA Boxing Junior Olympics Silver Champion and USA Boxing National Gold Champion, both in the 110-pound Female Intermediate division, Faith has already made a name for herself in the boxing world, and she continues to add to these accolades.

Boxing Beginnings
Faith’s success and initial interest in boxing started four years ago with the influence and example of her father and coach, Simon Gomez. “I got into boxing because I had inspiration from my dad, who was training in MMA, or mixed marital arts, at the time. I always thought it was interesting seeing my dad train, so I asked him if I could start boxing. I didn’t know at the time that boxing and MMA were two different sports, but I preferred boxing.” Faith described. She quickly realized that training and competing are not for the faint of heart and required a great deal of drive
and focus.

“Some of the challenges that I face in this sport are having mental battles with myself,” she continued. “Boxing is more than just physical. I have to mentally be in the right headspace when I fight, when I train, and when I start my diet as well.” While Faith has had to learn intense discipline at an early age, she’s also seen great rewards from her efforts. “Seeing my family proud and seeing my hard work pay off are some of the best feelings I get from the sport,” she said proudly. Faith has received national recognition as the top amateur boxer in California and the number one nationally top-ranked female boxer at her age and weight group. She has also won several title invitation tournaments. In December she won the gold medal at the USA Boxing Nationals in
Lafayette, Louisiana.

Yet Faith knows that there’s more to life than sparring and she tries to balance her plate. “My life isn’t only boxing. I really enjoy spending time with my family, my dog and my guinea pigs. I love to go out and enjoy other things as well, which is why I try to stay as active as I can,” she said. Like most teenagers, she loves hanging out, indulging in her favorite foods such as chicken wings and pizza, but she has to limit them around her training schedule. “I really enjoy eating a good meal after a long training period, because I do not have to diet.” Faith is also very motivated and driven in her studies. This past spring she promoted from Stockton Collegiate School and will attend Stockton Early College Academy as a freshman in the fall.

Knock-Out Support from Her Hometown
While Faith’s training, perseverance and family have been the staples to her success, the Stockton community, has also shown their love and support. Last year she was recognized by the City of Stockton for her classification in the 2023 USA Boxing National Championship in Wichita, Kansas. She was also hailed as a Hometown Hero by the Stockton Kings and all of her sponsorships have come from Stockton patrons, including Bank of Stockton and Chase Chevrolet, to name a few. “I feel very blessed that my community puts an effort into me,” she remarked. In May of this year, the Stockton community members supported an inaugural dinner and dance hosted by Faith Academy, her nonprofit created to help with competition expenses.

As she carries on her career in the boxing world, one thing is certain; her faith in God and support from her family will help her reach her goals. This past June, she returned to Wichita to the Boxing National Junior Olympics to defend her title and was defeated in her final bout. “All in all, it doesn’t change my mission,” Faith said after the loss. “Win or lose, I’m going to stay humble and focus on my goal to be a great professional boxer. Amateur boxing is just for experience. I know God has His plan for me and I will trust Him along the way, good or bad.”

She hopes in the future to attend the 2028 Olympics as a USA athlete and attain her goal of joining the professionals. “I hope to go as far as I can go, but mainly to become an inspiration to the younger generations,” said Faith proudly. One of her favorite mottos is the iconic Nike slogan, Just Do It, which encompasses her attitude about staying the course of her boxing career. “Telling myself to just go through with things no matter how hard or unmotivated I am really pays off in the end.”

To learn more about Faith Gomez’s journey, follow her on Instagram at @Faithgo209 or support her nonprofit at @faith_academy_209.