Claressa Shields

“My grades started dropping, and when I sleep all day and come to the gym I'd have a slow day. I needed rules, I guess, in boxing and to just help me, period.”

“I train like an animal in the ring. There's nobody that can beat me because I train hard for everybody.”

“My coach never looked at me as a female fighter, but just as a fighter, as someone he was training. I had to work just as hard as the guys, or harder than them.”

“Fighting in Flint in front of all my fans has been a dream of mine since turning pro. Having the opportunity to make history by fighting for the undisputed title in a second weight division is something I'm very proud of.”

“If I wanted to curse you out, I would write everything I wanted to say to you in my diary, and it was like screaming in my head. After that, I would have no feelings for you; I wouldn't be mad at you or upset because I already said it to you when I wrote it down. That's what writing did for me.”

“I'm just the undisputed champion - I am great as I think I am and I've been able to prove it by taking on these big challenges and beating these girls who they say cannot be beaten.”

“Boxing gave me self-confidence that I didn't have growing up. When I was young, I was super quiet and I didn't trust anybody. I didn't like having friends.”

“I sign a lot of autographs and take a lot of pictures. That's why I've always got to keep my hair done now.”

“I grew up on North Saginaw, the north side of Flint, which is considered the worst part and I was able to make it; I was able to make it by just making smart decisions from a very young age.”

“Boxing is so easy for me, sadly. I don't mean to be cocky. The promoters don't like that I walk through other girls but it's not my fault that I'm so good.”

“There's not a woman in this world that can beat me if we put on a pair of gloves and we fight. I've accomplished so much.”

“I was angry because I see other kids with things that I wanted: they had good parents, they had clothes, they always had food and extra money, and I wasn't one of those kids.”

“I trained my whole life for the Olympics. I didn't have a childhood, I really couldn't go to the beach with my friends. Couldn't go to parties. Just training, training, training.”

“Growing up in Flint, Michigan, I saw so many kids from my school end up in jail or unemployed, and gangs would hang out and cause trouble in my neighborhood. I had to learn how to protect myself, because it didn't feel like anyone else was protecting me.”

“I slept with my gold medal.”

“Can't nobody else get in there and help you. Your coach, he can't get in the ring and fight with you. You don't have your dad, your mom. When you get in the ring, you don't have anybody but yourself.”

“I'm carrying the sport of women's boxing and I am the best woman fighter and that's my role.”

“I be thinking sometimes, maybe I'm just too hard on people. Maybe I want too much. But no, I don't. All my granny did was cook for me, tell me that she love me, gave me hugs every now and then.”

“Laila Ali is not my definition of the best.”

“I always tell my story because I want others who have felt broken to know they can make it.”