OHIO — Patience Billingsley said a good boxer has balance. 

She finished first in her division in the qualifiers for the Junior Olympics. She will now travel to Texas to compete for the gold. The training only gets more intense from there.

What You Need To Know

  • Two sisters have qualified for the Junior Olympics

  • Patience Billingsley and Nevaeh Williams will compete for the gold in Texas

  • The sisters also qualified for the Junior Olympics last year

“I’ve been practicing my distance," Patience said. "So like, I’ve been practicing bending my legs and standing on the tip of my toes instead of the heels.”

Her sister, Nevaeh, finished second in her division during qualifiers. The girls are in different weight classes. But both of them are glad they can motivate each other.

“My sister she’s a big help and motivation," Patience said. "Even when one of us gotta cut weight and the other one don’t we can help each other.”

“The fact that we both are talented in this sport means a lot for our future," Nevaeh said. The fact that we both can compete and we’re good at it and the future is gonna bring a lot more money in, because Women’s Boxing is growing a lot.”

Women's boxing has only been an Olympic sport since 2012. USA Boxing said the sport has grown so much that they're hosting their first ever Women's Boxing Championships in Toledo in July. Both Patience and Nevaeh will compete there as well. 

This is the second time they’ve qualified for the Junior Olympics. They’ve gone through different coaches during their journey, but their dad and head coach Robert have always been in their corner. He only pushes them when they need it.

“They work out with professionals," Robert said. "And they gotta keep up with them, and I understand that. It gets tough at times, so sometimes they need that little extra push.”

The girls juggle a strict routine, which can be six or seven days a week. They balance all of that on top of their schoolwork. Now, as the sisters go for the gold, they’ve realized that boxing is more than a sport. For Nevaeh, it’s a lifestyle.

“After the third year of boxing, we figured out this is what we’re gonna do," Nevaeh said. "This is gonna be our career. This is what we’re gonna grow up with.”

For Patience, it’s a mindset.

“It’s not gonna get easier," Patience said. "I thought after i came back it would get easier. But it's not going to get easier. You just gotta learn how to like what you’re doing. You gotta learn how to enjoy the pain.”