Eighteen-year-old Shakur Stevenson (Newark, N.J.) made his name on the international scene three years ago as a junior star and the boxing phenom is now primed and ready to perform on the world’s biggest stage this summer at the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio de Janeiro. A former junior and youth world champion and the first American male to win gold at the Youth Olympic Games, Stevenson plans to extend his perfect international record this summer when he represents the United States in the bantamweight division.
The oldest of nine siblings, Stevenson credits his close knit family and hometown of Newark for building him in to the driven athlete he is today. In the first webisode of the “A Day in the Life Series,” we meet some of the key figures who’ve by his side from day one and learn who Shakur Stevenson is outside of the ring. Mother Malikah, father Shahid and his grandparents recount his journey from a “busy” child to one of the United States’ top Olympic hopefuls.
Stevenson was first introduced to boxing by his grandfather/trainer Willie “Wali” Moses at the age of five and fell in love with the sport that would grow in to his passion. Through interviews with his parents and grandparents, we learn about his love for being a big brother and the responsibility he feels to be a good role model for them and his city.
Although he moved to Virginia two years ago and later to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo., where he trains with coach Kay Koroma, Stevenson maintains a strong relationship with all of his family members and loves the chance to come home and see them. He always gets an incredible welcome every time he comes back and his family now understands why he spends so much time away as he chases his dream of Olympic gold.
Watch this in depth look at the American teenager known across the globe for his success in the ring before the competes for Olympic gold this summer.
