El Paso teen wins gold in German boxing competition

EL PASO, Texas (KVIA) -- A 16-year-old El Paso girl just got back from Germany, where she represented Team USA in boxing, and she brought home a gold medal!

"I just trust my instincts," Ivy Enriquez told ABC-7. "I trust what I've learned. Whatever my dad tells me, I just trust him and what I feel I need to do out there."

Enriquez is talking about her dad, and trainer, who is helping her realize her childhood dreams.

"I feel real proud," Sergio Enriquez said. "I saw it since she was little. When I saw her win her first tournament, I knew she was a little bit different and she had talent."

He says the first time Ivy asked to spar was when she was 8. Now, she is hooked.

"I didn't expect it because she's always been a girly-girl," Sergio told ABC-7. "I was pretty surprised."

"When I won my first national, that's when I was like, oh, I want to keep on doing this! It's a good feeling," Ivy exclaimed.

Ivy says her family has made sacrifices to make her dreams come true, for example turning the backyard into a training facility. She says she has made sacrifices, too.

"I run my five miles in the morning and in the afternoon I practice for 4 hours."

Ivy's bedroom - now looking more like a trophy case - with proof of her more than 90 fights on display. There are trophies, certificates, but nothing beats that winning feeling, Ivy says.

"What keeps me going is my accomplishments and my family. They're my motivation."