Sarasota 13-year-old boxer heads to Junior Olympic Nationals
Teen boxer joins ‘family business’
A 13-year-old from Sarasota comes from a long line of professional boxers and is heading to Junior Olympic Nationals. FOX 13's Sean Barie reports.
SARASOTA, Fla. - In the ring, Larian Jackson doesn't just feel at home, he feels connected to his family.
The backstory:
"My dad was a professional boxer, so he tried to get me into it," Larian said.
Along with his father, Larian's uncle and grandfather were also professional boxers.
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Yet, the 13-year-old from Sarasota didn't want to join the family business at first.
"It just wasn't for me. It wasn't fun to me," Larian said.
Dig deeper:
But a little more than a year ago, Larian's tune started to change.
"I used to do Karate and it wasn't enough combat for me." Larian said. "So why not come to the boxing club?"
And ever since, the 13-year old has been at the Sarasota Boxing Club working with his coach, Rodney Langston, day in and day out.
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"Over time he's been picking it up," Langston said. "He started liking the sport and actually loving it a little bit more and more."
What they're saying: A little more than a year after taking the sport seriously, Larian is heading to the Junior Olympic National tournament to represent Florida.
"A year ago I didn't even think that was possible," Langston said.
"The kid has it. He has everything it takes. One day he is actually going to be a champion."
The Source: This story was written with information obtained by FOX13 Sports reporter Sean Barie.
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