In the city of Joliet, Illinois, Joseph Awinongya stepped into the gym for the first time at just five years old. At 17, Joseph is paving a path for greatness as his passion and love for the sport is carving way for his legacy. Awinongya is following in the footsteps of his father, Joseph Awinongya, who was a former professional boxer and now his head coach. Their relationship is built on trust, shared dreams and countless hours in the gym, putting blood, sweat and tears in the sport.
“He is the first person I go to if I need to talk to someone,” Joseph states. “He’s the first person I go to if I need to talk. We joke around all day, and I believe boxing has brought us closer together. Since he was a professional boxer, he knows what I am going through and helps me get through all my adversity.”
Balancing boxing with academics is no easy task, but for Joseph he is ahead of the curve. He earned his high school diploma when he was just 13 years old and promptly began college at Joliet Junior College. Now he is currently at the University of St. Francis ,where he will earn his marketing degree in May 2025.
“Boxing is what I love to do, and I wouldn’t want my profession to be anything else,” Awinongya stated. “But I understand that anything can happen in life and school and getting a degree is just as important, so I decided to get it done earlier rather than later.”
His mother, Valerie Ayertey, also plays a pivotal role in his life. She is one of his coaches and helps him balance boxing and school. He explains having his parents as his coaches allows his to balance boxing and school and they understand his grades are important to him.
Support for Joseph extends beyond his family as he also proudly represents the city of Joliet and his parents’ home country, Ghana. As the 2024 World Boxing U19 Championships approach, Joseph now how his eyes set on his first international tournament, where he will represent Team USA in the 75 kg weight class.
While Joseph is no stranger to success at an early age, getting to the Youth High Performance team was not simple. Awinongya suffered an injury just before the 2023 USA Boxing National Championships. To make it to the finals of the national championships, Awinongya fought through the injury and achieved a step forward in his goals.
“I was boxing with the injury, but I knew I had to win to get to where I am now. There are so many challenges in the sport of boxing, it is just about fighting the adversity and trusting in yourself. That is why I love boxing.”
Awinongya anxiously awaits the beginning of the World Boxing U19 Championships and he is poised to make his heritage and state proud. He is not here solely to honor his family, he is here to win a gold medal.
