The narrative of women in sports often finds itself relegated to the sidelines. It is our mission to change that, to amplify their accomplishments and to weave a tapestry of stories that inspire and empower. Our weekly column Latin Women in Sports seeks to applaud their triumphs, break down barriers, and champion the idea that in sports, as in life, every voice deserves to be heard.
SEATTLE - The life of a professional boxer is perhaps one of the most challenging in the world of sports. The dedication and the mental and physical toll it takes on one's body can be enough to push most people away from pursuing a career. It almost happened to Mariana "La Barby," until she became a mother.
Juárez, one of Mexico's best fighters in women's boxing, started her career in 1999. She amasses a record of 56 wins, 13 losses and four draws, winning 20 of her fights by stoppage. To this day, Juárez' 56 wins are the most ever by a fighter in women's boxing. She has won world titles in two different divisions, holding the WBC flyweight title between 2011 and 2012 and the bantamweight title from 2017 to 2020.
But Juárez' life changed in 2007, when she became the mother of Natasha. Ever since, she uses her daughter as a motivation to push through her fights.
"There was a point in my career where I didn't want to know anything else about boxing. But after having my daughter Natasha...feeling that responsibility of providing a better life for her...it brought me back that passion," Juárez said in an interview in 2012.
Four years after becoming a mother, Juárez won the first of her world titles after defeating Italian fighter Simona Galassi by unanimous decision. Juárez made seven successful defenses of her flyweight title until finally losing it to Japanese Shindo Go.
"For me, being a professional boxer and a mother is the most marvelous thing that could exist. I have an extra engine called Natasha that gives me energy to wake up every day and give my best, I want to keep on being a good example for my daughter," Juárez told Mexican news outlet Récord in 2020.
But at her 44 years of age, Juárez might not have much more time inside the ring and she knows it. In an interview with TVyNovelas, Juárez said that she wants to quit boxing before she suffers "gets hurt."
Since 2018, "La Barby" started to appear in reality shows such as Mexico's "La Casa de los Famosos." She has also pursued opportunities as TV analyst and has a passion for business administration.
The road hasn't been easy for Juárez, who has had to raise a daughter while also pursuing her dreams of becoming one of Mexico's best female boxers of all time. Just like many other women in Latin America, Juárez had to raise her daughter as a single mother and constantly missed on many important moments of her childhood due to her career.
"In a Mother's Day festival, I had to go to a weigh-in ceremony. I couldn't stay until the end because I had to go to the weigh-in, so my daughter couldn't perform a song with all her friends. As we were leaving she said to me "don't worry mommy, I will sing it to you in the car," Juárez told Récord. "Those are some of the things that I have a problem on accepting, knowing that I have deprived us from those kind of moments," Juárez added.
For more than 20 years, "La Barby" Juárez has been an example for both Latin women in sports and for mothers, showing the world that you don't have to stop doing one for the other. Juárez knows that her struggles have been worth it. "Both of us know that its for the best," she said. "The things that I do are just to give her a better future and she knows that I do it with so much love," Juárez added.
© 2024 Latin Times. All rights reserved. Do not reproduce without permission.
