A victory at a last-minute boxing match puts a Sanger woman one step closer to her dream of making Team USA and competing for gold when the Olympics come to L.A. in 2028.

Two days before a match set for Sunday, Aug. 31, 18-year-old Alyssa Samorano got the call to fill in for a fight as women and girls from across the western U.S. took on fighters from Great Britain in Portola.

“We were iffy about it, it was so last minute, I wasn’t training 100%, but I kind of thought about it the whole day,” Samorano said. “I come to the gym everyday, even if I don’t train 100%, I’m here every day training no matter what. So I felt confident that I can do good and I can take the fight no matter what.”

The championship belt Samorano walked away with after her win marked her ninth since she began her boxing career as many years ago. She has a fight scheduled for the Big Fresno Fair, but after that, a bout in December will help determine eligibility for Team USA.

“If I win that or if I win gold, there’s a chance I can make it on the team,” Samorano said. “It all depends if I win or not.”

9-Time Champ Samorano Went from Gym to Gym Before Finding Her Home

Samorano began training at nine years old after her mom told her how much she wanted to be a boxer. They stopped by a gym in Sanger and she didn’t like it. She quit the first day.

But after turning 10, she regained that desire to fight, this time with a new trainer — her dad. They went from gym to gym for a while, but it was hard to find a place for her.

“There was a lot of hate and a lot of negative stuff, so we had to leave and we kind of took matters into our own hand and we started just training ourselves,” Samorano said.

She began training in the backyard with her brothers and cousins. Even then, though, Samorano’s challenges didn’t end. Trainer David Pollastrini said it took a while for Samorano to find her rhythm. She lost her first few matches, but then, she found her stride.

“It didn’t just skyrocket to the top, you know? She had to put a lot of work in and she struggled with some fights in the beginning,” Pollastrini said. “And then after we were working and working — and she works with her dad — her dad unlocked her hands and her hand speed just started to become incredible.”

In the years that followed, she’s won nine national titles. Her bout at the Big Fresno Fair on Oct. 5 will be emotional for her — it marks her return to the venue of her very first fight when she was 11 years old.

Now, she’s competing with a girl from Wisconsin for the shrinking number of spots on Team USA as they prepare for the 2028 Summer Olympics in L.A.

“If we’re able to overtake that girl and get her on the Olympic team, that has been our dream from Day 1,” Pollastrini said. “But it’s not necessarily up to us all the way, 100%, or even up to just winning tournaments. There’s more to it.”

A Samorano Boxing Trains From 8 Years Old to 75 Years Old: Pollastrini

They eventually found a home at Sanger MMA. Alongside jiu jitsu practitioners, kickboxers, and wrestlers, the A Samorano Boxing team trains a diverse group from 8 years old to one man training at age 75, Pollastrini said.

“We train everybody, and it starts out gradual — they have to go in steps,” Pollastrini said. “But once they start getting around to getting in the ring and fighting, then they really start to pick it up.”

Though Samorano prefers training with men — testing her skills and strengths against heavier fighters — she’s taken a mentorship role with the other girls in class.

Taller than most girls in her weight division, she works best from the outside, she said. Her strong jab keeps opponents at a distance, but when they come in for the clinch, she can have trouble breaking free, she said.

Pollastrini and her other trainers know that well and work with her nearly every day of the week.

But it’s her father who pushes her the hardest. Once they get to the gym, he puts her to work, she said.

“He’s my coach. He’s the one who pushes me, and we always have our ups and downs, even at the gym,” Samorano said. “Since he’s my dad and my coach, when I’m at home, he’s different. And then when he gets to the gym, he’s also different.”