When Nesthy Petecio wasn’t cleaning up chicken droppings on her family’s tiny farm in the Philippines, she was fighting for food in rudimentary street rings or on basketball courts and beaches.
© Ueslei Marcelino
Nesthy Petecio of the Philippines reacts after winning her fight against Irma Testa of Italy.
Ryan Pyette
Once, the pre-teen matched up against an older, stronger local boy and was on the verge of being stopped — before charging back to win.
“During that time we really had nothing and we would just borrow money to be able to buy our food,” the 29-year-old told the ‘Go Hard Girls’ podcast, via the official Olympic site , last spring of her childhood. “We would join (the neighbourhood bouts) because we knew, win or lose, we would get meals.”
On Tuesday, Petecio will fight for gold against Japanese foe Sena Irie in the women’s featherweight (57 kg.) division. The 2019 world champ roared back from a first-round deficit to beat Italian Irma Testa in the semi-final Saturday.
The Pinoy standout from humble roots is vying to become her country’s second Olympic champion in Games history. Earlier this week, weightlifter Hidilyn Diaz ended a 97-year drought to claim the nation’s first gold.
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