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Josh Edwards, Olympian for Team USA Boxing is Going to the Paris '24 Games
from NORTH By Colorado Media Group || FEB/MAR 2024 || Lonnie Cramer
by Colorado Media Group :: NORTH, The Digest/CSBJ & So. Colorado Insider!
JOSH EDWARDS IS ABOUT TO LIVE HIS OLYMPIC DREAM.
By Keri Khan, Staff Writer, NORTH Magazine
Last October, the 23 year old punched his ticket to Paris after a semifinal victory over Cuba’s Fernando Arzola Lopez at the 2023 Pan American Games in Santiago. He followed with a win in the finals, becoming only the second super heavyweight American in history to win Pan Am gold.
USA Boxing’s Assistant High Performance Director Derrick Raedel says that Edwards is considered undersized for super heavyweights — at 6 feet, 3 inches tall and approximately 220 pounds — which makes him a threat.
“It’s kind of a David versus Goliath thing,” Raedel says. “His speed and footwork are hard to beat against those bigger super heavyweights. He showed that in Pan Am where he beat a Cuban.” Cuba is one of the tougher countries to best in the world of amateur boxing.
Hailing from the historic boxing city of Houston, Edwards gives much credit to his father, who put him in the gym around age six.
“I was all over the place,” Edwards says. “It started with my dad just seeing that I needed something to put some energy into so I wouldn’t be so bad at school.” Once he stepped into the ring, his dad, Henry, saw visions of gold. “From there, he was just a guiding hand, making sure I stayed on track and was the best me I could be.”
Eventually, a teenage Edwards became burned out on the sport and made his way to the high school basketball courts. But it wasn’t long before the call of boxing brought him back to the ring.
“Actually, the love I found was stronger than before,” he says. “I didn’t feel I was pushing myself as hard playing basketball. It was like I was missing something.”
“Nerves are normal, but you shouldn’t be too nervous about the future and you can’t be dwelling on the past. Staying in the moment before you perform – that’s the best place to be.” - Josh Edwards, U.S. Olympian
A downtown Houston gym called the Progressive Amateur Boxing Association, or PABA, is where things became serious. Edwards qualified to compete in the 2020 Olympic Trials but didn’t make the cut. After continuing to incorporate speed and agility into his workouts, he won the USA Boxing Elite National Championships in 2021, which earned him an invite to the Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs.
“You pay attention, especially to heavyweight and super heavyweight,” says Raedel. “Because in America, it’s kind of tough to fill those spots. Most of the guys who are six foot, four inches and 240 pounds play football. They don’t box.”
Edwards admits he was bigheaded for a bit when he got to Colorado Springs, but it didn’t last long.
“I went to my first tournament and I was like ‘These guys are good. I thought I’m number one in the USA.’ It was a humbling experience,” he says.
Raedel says it’s normal for athletes who are heroes in their hometown gyms to join a high-performance team and realize they’re one of many heroes.
“He brings a lighthearted and easygoing demeanor,” Raedel says about Edwards. “Outside the ring, he’s fun to be around. He jokes around all while still holding the team accountable.” Boxing may be an individual sport, but when it comes to Olympic-caliber amateurs, they train and travel together as a team.
Edwards spends his Paris-prep time in Colorado Springs, where he studies the other 15 opponents in his weight class by watching film and looking for their tendencies. Once he gets to Paris however, he plans to take it one match at a time.
“Nerves are normal, but you shouldn’t be too nervous about the future and you can’t be dwelling on the past,” he says. “Staying in the moment before you perform – that’s the best place to be.”
Olympic boxing matches are slated to begin on Aug. 6, when the US will cheer for their quick and agile super heavyweight who has already solidified his place in history by being able to call himself an Olympian, forever.
Get the full edition of NORTH for FEB/MAR 2024 here: https://issuu.com/healthycoloradanmediagroup/docs/north_feb-march_2024_issuu_2.3.24
