CRF’s 5th Annual Full Steam Ahead 5K in Honor of Their Newest Warrior, Jesselyn Silva, Sat. 6/18
The Cristian Rivera Foundation is excited to honor their newest warrior, Jesselyn Silva, at their 5th Annual Full Steam Ahead 5K this Saturday, June 18, 2022!
Champion boxer, published author, and star of a documentary film—Jesselyn “JessZilla” Silva is in the biggest fight of her life after being diagnosed in July of 2021 with DMG (Diffuse Midline Glioma) an aggressive and inoperable pediatric brain tumor, at the age of 15.
Ever since Jesselyn was seven, she’s had a passion for boxing. Because of her ambition and dedication, she was well on her way to becoming an Olympic boxer after ranking as the number one junior female boxer in the nation for over two years prior to her diagnosis.
Though her DMG diagnosis has made it hard for her to continue training, she believes that her time spent in boxing has taught her valuable life lessons that she carries with her daily. The most important lesson that she’s learned was to never give up, and she has taken this lesson with her in her fight against cancer.
In addition to her love of boxing, Jesselyn loves books. Her favorite series is Diary of a Whimpy Kid. Jesselyn always dreamed of becoming an author, and her dream came true after writing her book My Corner of the Ring which is about her experiences boxing.
In her spare time, Jesselyn also loves spending time with her family and creating art. Jesselyn shares a very close bond with her father Pedro Silvia and her younger siblings, who are always by her side. Jesselyn is also faith-driven and believes that with the help of God and her family, she can get through anything.
Because of Jesselyn’s hard work and dedication, she’s been successful both inside and outside of the ring as she excelled in school on the honor roll. Now that she is receiving treatment for her brain cancer diagnosis, Jesselyn has been able to homeschool, giving her the flexibility to fight for her life while keeping up with her goals.
Over her 16th birthday, Jesselyn underwent a 6-hour neuro procedure to remove a small part of her tumor. Following a three-week hospital stay for that procedure, Jesselyn underwent radiation treatment in Harlem, NY. Jesselyn has recovered from her surgeries and her radiation is over. She still has a long way to go, but in the meantime, she is being supported by the boxing community in her fight against DMG.
Jesselyn was honored last month at the Gleason’s Gym before World Champion Gervonta Davis's fight last month where many fighters recognized her and called her champ.
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