photo courtesy of Morgan McDonald
North Minneapolis boxer from Lucy Laney Community School, Lavendar Nelson, won her seventh national championship on December 9. At just 11 years old, Nelson attended the three-day competition and won her final match by unanimous decision from the judges. After her win was announced, a video showed her celebrating with her signature backflip and being cheered on by her supporters on the Lubbock, Texas, stage.
The Sahan Journal reported that the 121-pound bantamweight is only a 5th grader, which makes her sheer number of wins on the national stage. She traveled from Minneapolis to Texas with her coach, who advocated for her funding for the competition, Morgan McDonald. Navigating a competition that hosts over 150 matches every day with boxers of all different classes, Nelson maintained that she wanted to go on to win more championships than gold medalist Claressa Shields, who she named her idol.
Nelson’s coach heads the boxing program at her school and even started a GoFundMe leading up to their trip to Texas to secure the finances needed for her to compete. They were met with overwhelming support, and McDonald told the outlet, “I have never gotten this much help. We are going. We are working extremely hard to bring home the seventh national championship.”
The GoFundMe was posted before the national championship, and they have since been met and surpassed. The fundraiser read, “Want to join me in making a Dream come true by helping Lavendar Nelson, Who represents Minnesota in a major way, reach her goal of earning 25 National Championships? I’m raising money to benefit Lucy Laney Boxing Academy and assisting with getting Lavendar to Lubbock, Tx, where she has a chance to get her 7th national championship. Any and every donation will help make an impact. Thanks in advance for your contribution. Experience is Everything,”