You won’t amount to anything; they’ll smash your face in; you’re too fragile.” Fortunately, I never listened to any of those comments. No matter what people say, when in your heart you recognise the path you want to take, go and do it. My biggest goal now is to use my platform to tell every girl out there not to be intimidated by judgements.
Tania Álvarez
Tania Alvarez discovered boxing at the age of 14 almost by accident, when accompanying her brother to a gym near her home. After years of trying different sports without passion – from ballet to football – boxing became the first discipline capable of igniting a fire inside her.
She began to train, in a context between sparring with men who did not want to hit her and a real shortage of female opponents in the categories. Her determination led her to make her international debut at Madison Square Garden in New York, where she became the first Spanish female boxer to win, gaining visibility and paving the way for women’s boxing in her country. From there on the only way was up: in 2023 she won the European EBU super bantamweight title, defending it with authority against opponents such as Maria Cecchi and Odelia Ben Ephraim, until her 2025 victory against Katie Healy which confirmed her status as champion. Today she is recognised as one of the ring’s most extraordinary protagonists, a symbol of strength and authenticity, and a contemporary female voice that inspires new generations of women boxers.
Tania Álvarez for Yalea Eyewear
With this campaign, Yalea celebrates feminine empowerment in the professional world: a clear vision where form and substance coexist, inspiring fresh perspectives. A collection that invites you to break barriers and see beyond.
Tania, your career started almost by chance, but it has become, alongside your sporting successes, a way of challenging prejudice. When did you realise that boxing was not just a sport, but your way of affirming an authentic feminine vision?
I started boxing at 14 with no great expectations; it was a way to try something new after so many sports that hadn’t excited me.” Actually, the boxing gym was designed for my brother: my parents wanted to send him, but I asked to go there too. At first they were hesitant; they did not see boxing as a sport suitable for a girl, but eventually accepted it. That’s how I started going to the gym, almost by chance, and from the very first sessions I felt something was different: I was truly passionate about it; it wasn’t just exercise, it was discipline, a challenge, an identity. It was not easy at the beginning: there were only a few girls in the gym, there were hardly any opponents in the youth categories, meaning I had to spar with men who did not want to hit me because they considered me fragile.
In that context, I understood that my presence was not just a personal matter: I was paving a way. When I arrived at Madison Square Garden and won, my story started to get attention. It was no longer just my passion, but a symbol for other girls who wrote to me saying ‘Thank you, now my parents are letting me have a go’. It was then that I realised boxing was my way of showing that women can be protagonists wherever they wish, even beyond the ordinary, breaking obsolete patterns and clichés. I didn’t just want to win any more: I wanted to be there, to raise visibility, to become a point of reference. “Boxing has become my way of saying that women’s strength is not an exception, but a reality that deserves space and respect.
The success of a woman as a force for many: to live and to inspire
For Tania Alvarez, success is no longer just about becoming a world champion; it is a concept that shifts from the individual to the collective: it is not only about her career, but also about the impact she has in making women’s boxing visible and legitimate. “At the beginning I saw success as a title, a medal, an official recognition. Today I have realised that being able to make a living doing what I love is already an extraordinary success. I have managed to live without letting myself be influenced by external criticism or expectations. I have also shifted the focus from the individual to the collective: it is no longer just about my career, but the impact it has on making women’s boxing visible and legitimate. As an invitation for all women to follow their passions without fear, in every field.”
Without playing the victim, every woman can describe the pressure she feels when she makes choices that deviate from common expectations. Many women feel that they have different aspirations, yet do not dare to follow their own desire for fear of failing. You yourself have told us about moments of doubt and criticism. How did you turn fear into an engine of growth and a tale of strength and authenticity?
‘‘Fear is also an integral part of my story. I was afraid of not being able to become a professional. Everyone around me thought it was a world that was too aggressive and that I would achieve nothing. Then, after my first defeat at Madison Square Garden, the fear grew even stronger. The commentators said I wasn’t fit and that I should retire. At that moment I truly questioned myself and whether I really had what it takes for this sport, which was the conviction I had always felt within me, the strength that sustained me. But after a moment, instead of giving in and stopping, I turned fear into energy: I analysed my shortcomings, I understood what to improve, I decided to train harder. Fear has taught me that success is not just winning, but continuing to do what you love even when others pass judgement on you.
And I believe that this applies not only to boxing, but to every woman who feels like she has aspirations beyond the expectations considered normal in her environment.
The judgment is there, ready: ‘It’s not for you’, ‘You won’t make it’, ‘It’s not suitable for a woman’. The fear of not making it, of being judged or criticised, can become a huge obstacle, but if you learn to see that fear as a sign that you are entering new territory, then it becomes your strength. It’s not about denying it, but using it to grow. Every step taken against expectations is already an act of courage, and every woman who dares to follow her own desire helps change the rules.
I too have received – and still constantly receive – criticism. The truth is that apart from specific occasions, such as my first defeat, they have never really influenced me: they went in one ear and out the other. I’ve never cared what they said, and in fact, they often motivated me to prove them wrong. Today my fear no longer concerns me, but the new generations: I fear that they will give up out of shame or because of what people will think. “This is why I want to raise the profile of my role and show that a girl can be where she wants and do it with passion and competence.”
Your story is also one of mentorship: your coach, by your side from the beginning, was the first to believe in you and, for a long time, he was also the only one. How important is it to have a guide and what does it take for women’s boxing to stop being considered an exception to the rule or a sport for tomboys?
If I am where I am today, it’s also thanks to Toni. He was the only one who believed in me from the beginning, when even my parents didn’t understand or support my choice, when people told me that boxing wasn’t for girls: ‘You will come to nothing, they will break your face, you are too fragile.’ Fortunately, I never listened to any of those comments. My coach dedicated time, energy and patience to me: he taught me the technique, encouraged me to compete, and accompanied me home when there were no trains. He was like a second father. Without him I wouldn’t be the boxer or the person I am today. This has taught me that no one gets there on their own: having someone to support and encourage you makes a difference. That’s why I don’t just want to win; I want the girls out there to know it.
I imagine a future of women’s boxing where this support becomes natural: female champions who open doors, girls who encourage each other, daughters who no longer have to feel embarrassed about telling their parents‘ I want to do boxing ’and parents finally freed from the prejudice that it is ‘a boy thing’. It is not just about winning titles, but about building a community and redesigning how society views sport and women. If this becomes the norm, women’s boxing will no longer be perceived as an exception but as an integral part of the sport. And then the glass ceiling will not only be broken, but forgotten. Because the real victory, if I close my eyes, is seeing other women step into the ring with confidence and know that, somehow, I helped make it possible.
