“If I wasn’t a boxer I’d have ten kids before I was twenty-six” says the heroine of this inspirational doco, Claressa ‘T–Rex’ Shields. Born into the hard streets of Flint Michigan, Claressa literally fought her way out of her surroundings to become the youngest member of the US Olympic boxing team.
The film tracks her life story – including her tumultuous relationship with coach Jason Crutchfield – who started training her when she was a scrawny 11-year-old kid hanging out at his gym, right through her preparations for the 2012 Olympics and beyond. As fierce as she is in the ring, as a young black girl in the spotlight with an Olympic gold medal, she needs all her wits about her to become an “acceptable role model” for sponsors and build a career that will keep her family out of trouble.
