When Lisandra “La Nena” Velasquez first started hitting a punching bag, she didn’t imagine she would ever become a champion. Physically abused by her partner, all she wanted was to learn how to fight back.
3 Golden Glove championships later, she escaped her abusive relationship and founded the G & N Project with friend Giselle Brea to bring boxing to other domestic violence survivors in the Bronx.
Correction: A previous version of this video incorrectly identified Virginia Perez