In boxing, as in life, you fall down, you get back up again. Perhaps no one knows that better than 21-year-old Omari Jones.“I feel like I’ve been hit so many times in life, inside the ring, of course, and outside the ring as well,” Jones said. “I just had to make sure that I got over every hurdle in life to make sure my dream came true.”Jones stepped into the ring at just 8 years old, and 13 years later, he was still here, but he stood there as an Olympian.“Somebody sent me the percentages of how often it is for an American to become an Olympian, and it’s a very, very small amount,” Jones said.“For me to be mentioned along with some of the greats that have done it before me and that are currently doing it, it’s like I’m writing my chapter in history right now.”The Orlando native first got into boxing after a stint with karate. He loved the contact and the discipline that boxing provided.But it wasn’t until he became a teenager that he realized the sport was becoming much more than just a hobby.“That’s when I started saying things like, ‘All right, we’re going to go ahead and make this Olympic run,’” Jones said.He began training two to three times a day, started fighting in national events, and got himself a place on Team USA’s radar.All of this while he was still in high school.“Chasing that for 13 years was a sacrifice,” Jones said. “I missed prom, I missed parties, a lot of events, and I even missed family because I was always gone.”The sacrifice was always worth it because he knew the reward.This past March, it all came to fruition as Jones took down India’s Nishant Dev at the World Qualifying Tournament in Italy. Paris 2024 was now in his sights.“The first thought was I did it,” Jones said.“I screamed to the camera, ‘I told y’all.’ And I just screamed, just letting out all the stress and work that I put in to prove to myself first before I prove to anybody that your goal and dreams are tangible,” Jones said.At his core, that’s the message Jones has always wanted to stand for: never quitting, never staying down.“For the kids in Orlando and kids around the world that are looking and watching, it was it was for them as well. Whatever you strive for is possible,” Jones said.Jones is seeking to become the first American boxer in the last two decades to return home with a medal.
In boxing, as in life, you fall down, you get back up again. Perhaps no one knows that better than 21-year-old Omari Jones.
“I feel like I’ve been hit so many times in life, inside the ring, of course, and outside the ring as well,” Jones said. “I just had to make sure that I got over every hurdle in life to make sure my dream came true.”
Jones stepped into the ring at just 8 years old, and 13 years later, he was still here, but he stood there as an Olympian.
“Somebody sent me the percentages of how often it is for an American to become an Olympian, and it’s a very, very small amount,” Jones said.“For me to be mentioned along with some of the greats that have done it before me and that are currently doing it, it’s like I’m writing my chapter in history right now.”
The Orlando native first got into boxing after a stint with karate. He loved the contact and the discipline that boxing provided.
But it wasn’t until he became a teenager that he realized the sport was becoming much more than just a hobby.
“That’s when I started saying things like, ‘All right, we’re going to go ahead and make this Olympic run,’” Jones said.
He began training two to three times a day, started fighting in national events, and got himself a place on Team USA’s radar.
All of this while he was still in high school.
“Chasing that for 13 years was a sacrifice,” Jones said. “I missed prom, I missed parties, a lot of events, and I even missed family because I was always gone.”
The sacrifice was always worth it because he knew the reward.
This past March, it all came to fruition as Jones took down India’s Nishant Dev at the World Qualifying Tournament in Italy. Paris 2024 was now in his sights.
“The first thought was I did it,” Jones said.
“I screamed to the camera, ‘I told y’all.’ And I just screamed, just letting out all the stress and work that I put in to prove to myself first before I prove to anybody that your goal and dreams are tangible,” Jones said.
At his core, that’s the message Jones has always wanted to stand for: never quitting, never staying down.
“For the kids in Orlando and kids around the world that are looking and watching, it was it was for them as well. Whatever you strive for is possible,” Jones said.
Jones is seeking to become the first American boxer in the last two decades to return home with a medal.
