- Johana Gómez, 10-time reigning Venezuelan amateur featherweight champion, attempts to pull herself and her family out of poverty by pursuing her dream to become a professional boxer.
- Johana Gómez, 10-time reigning Venezuelan amateur featherweight champion, attempts to pull herself and her family out of poverty by pursuing her dream to become a professional boxer.
Little Warrior offers an intimate glimpse into Johana's daily life, as she balances grueling training sessions, spending time with her family and confronting the everyday realities of living in a country in crisis. Despite her success in the ring, Johana and her family live in poverty, along with 82% of the Venezuelan population in the wake of the country's economic collapse. Driven by the desire to give her mother and grandmother a better life, Johana chooses to remain unbroken by her circumstances, instead using her lived experience as motivation to triumph in the ring.
An unlikely connection changes the trajectory of her life when she reaches out to Scottish boxing trainer, Gary Young, via Instagram. On the verge of quitting the sport during lock-down, Gary, a former Scottish Welterweight champion, finds his passion for boxing reignited by Johana's determination. Despite the distance and language barrier between them, the two have developed a remarkable respect for one another based on trust, compassion and intuition. Though neither speaks the other's language, Johana and Gary remain in contact daily, using Google Translate and WhatsApp to communicate and interact during training sessions. As Johana's strength and aggression continue to grow, to the point where she spars only with men, Gary sees her incredible potential and facilitates the offer of a professional contract in Scotland.
While desperate to escape and begin the journey to realize her ambition to turn professional, Johana is also offered an opportunity to join the Venezuelan Olympic team and attempt to qualify for the 2024 Olympics. Now, she must decide; wait and pursue the Olympic dream or move to Scotland and turn pro.
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