“Growing up, I did kickboxing simply because my uncle got me into it,” said Francesca DeLeon. “He did karate before, and wanted me to learn self-defense, just in case.”

That moment changed DeLeon’s life. “To this day I still do it, which would make it six years now. The reason I still do it is because I fell in love with the sport.”

Some martial artists put their skills to the test, as did DeLeon, fortunately through competitions rather than dangerous situations. “I have earned the F1 2019 gold medal, which is an Olympic-style competition,” she said. “I am also a 2022 silver medalist for the WBC.” WBC stands for World Boxing Council.

DeLeon is almost obsessed with the sport. “I don’t really have any hobbies at all; I just stick to kickboxing,” she said. “It depends on the days, though, and for the days I’m not training I’m usually just doing homework or regular things.”

Kickboxing may not be her ultimate lifetime goal, though. “I want to be a dental assistant, but I’m not sure what college I would like to go to. I don’t have any plans for my education yet, so it’s more of an interest for me,” she said.

“I would like to pursue in my kickboxing career when I’m older. Not right now though, as I’m focused on school more and would like to do it when I’m out of school,” she said. “I’m even interested in transitioning to MMA  later on, if my kickboxing career does well.