Jesselyn Silva doesn’t believe anything will ever be too hard for her. This young boxer from New Jersey who calls herself “JessZilla” talks about her Olympic dream, which finally seems to be within reach. The teenager has been training hard since she was seven to reach the top in a male-dominated world, and she’s confident that she’s as tough as the best of them. Her father Pedro also knows how tough she is, which only makes him worry about her more when she’s in the ring.
During the years that this documentary follows her, Jesselyn becomes national champion three times. Between scenes in the ring and at home, the father and his articulate daughter are interviewed about boxing, their family and their philosophy about top-level sport, life and the future. Meanwhile, rapid news items confirm the image of an American dream in the making. Until at around the age of 15, Jesselyn hears that she has an aggressive brain tumor, and the family is forced to radically adjust their outlook on life.
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