Filipina-Micronesian boxer trades Wall Street for Olympic gloves

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil – A United States-born boxer put her career on Wall Street on hold to pursue her dream of taking part at the Rio Olympics for tiny Micronesia.

Jennifer Chieng lost by unanimous points to American medal hope Mikaela Mayer in their lightweight bout on Friday, the first day of women’s boxing in Rio.

But Chieng, 30, a mother who lives in Brooklyn and took a sabbatical from her job in treasury and trade in Manhattan so she could box full time, said she had no regrets.

“I used to be in finance but I wanted to give my boxing career a serious go, especially when the Olympics was an option, so I switched over to boxing full time,” said Chieng, whose mother is from the Philippines and her father Micronesian.

Asked by AFP if she planned to resume her day job, Chieng said: “I’m on sabbatical. People ask me if I’m going to return after my Olympic run, I say ‘maybe’, but I’m having too much fun.”

Chieng is the first female boxer from Micronesia to compete at an Olympic Games. – Rappler.com