At just five years old in Las Cruces, N.M., a girl by the name of Joscelyn Olayo-Munoz started boxing in her living room with her stepdad. Munoz quickly fell in love with the sport and her stepdad, Danny Melendrez, who has been a boxing coach since 2002. From that point on, Melendrez took her under his wing and taught her everything he knows. Over the years, she has gained passion for the sport from her stepdad and has since committed countless hours to the sport to become one of Team USA’s upcoming rising stars.
When Munoz started boxing her mom was a little skeptical, but now she is her biggest supporter. She supports Joscelyn in her journey to gold and is proud of her daughter and all her accomplishments
While balancing school and boxing is no easy task, Munoz is not one to shy away from a challenge. She even runs track for her high school, the Las Cruces High School Bulldawgs. Olayo-Munoz makes sure she enjoys time with her friends and family outside of boxing, and that is why she got into track, to become involved with her school as well. While she is a well-rounded athlete, the multi-sport competitor also enjoys her time away from sports.
“I am such a girly girl outside of sports,” Joscelyn stated on her life outside of boxing. “I want to have a life outside of boxing and that is something my mom pushes. I’m always going to train and box, but after training I love going to the mall and go shopping and hangout with my friends and get my nails done and go to Starbucks. I just like to be a girl and have fun.”
Olayo-Munoz’s competitive boxing journey began in 2015 where she competed in her first bout, which resulted in a split-decision victory. She has since become one of USA Boxing’s more dominant boxers and will represent Team USA in the 48 kg weight class at the World Boxing U19 Championships in Pueblo, Colo. While she has experienced tremendous success throughout her amateur boxing career, there have also been obstacles for Munoz along the way.
"Overcoming a loss is my biggest hurdle," Joscelyn admits. "I look for mistakes I can fix, because I believe every loss is a lesson. If I dwell on them too much, they’ll stick in my head, and I can’t afford that."
Olayo-Munoz has a track record for victories, including 15 USA Boxing amateur titles, the latest of which came at the 2023 National Championships. She continues to impress all with her style in the ring and her mamba mentality. Once she gets in the ring, that “girly girl” is no longer there, and she only cares about getting her hand raised at the end of the bout.
For Joscelyn, boxing isn’t just about competition; it’s personal. She fights for her grandmother, a breast cancer survivor, and proudly wears custom trunks with a breast cancer ribbon at national events. When she competes in Pueblo, she’ll wear pink socks as a tribute her grandmother. "Every time I step into the ring, I carry my grandmother’s strength with me," she says, her voice filled with emotion.
"I am locked in," she declares with determination. "I’m here to go get gold. Anyone who gets in the ring with me is going to get the best of me, no matter how big or tall, no matter what country they are from."
As the World Boxing U19 Championships approach, Joscelyn Olayo-Munoz stands at the precipice of her dreams. With her mom by her side and her grandmother’s spirit in her heart, she’s ready to leave it all in the ring. She’s not just fighting for herself—she’s fighting for her family, her heritage, and her future.