This was part of my June 4, 2022 newsletter:
https://www.a2elnel.com/post/city-council-newsletter-june-4-2022
Ward 4 People & Places You Should Know
If you read MLive, follow local boxing, or live on the eastern edge of Ward 4 off Packard, you may already know Jasmine Hampton. She spent her childhood in Ann Arbor, attending Eberwhite Elementary, Tappan Middle School, and Pioneer High School. She still lives on the same street with the Ward 4 neighbors who love her and watched her grow up. Jasmine is an amazing boxer who has accomplished a lot in the sport — she now qualifies for the 2024 Olympic trials!
You can read a recent MLive story about Jasmine here:
https://www.mlive.com/news/ann-arbor/2022/05/loss-of-family-members-fuels-ann-arbor-boxers-dream-of-making-olympics.html
I first heard about Jasmine a few months ago, when her neighbors were promoting a GoFundMe to help pay expenses for Jasmine to travel to a boxing tournament. I reached out to her then, to learn more about how our community could help. I met Jasmine for the first time in person last week, at a meet and greet. I do not know a thing about sports and so Jasmine’s athletic accomplishments are difficult for me to explain and describe. I was amazed, learning about how many hours Jasmine trains and how many competitions she has participated in and won over the years!
I learned last week: Jasmine’s accomplishments are much more than she will volunteer on her own, but her friends and neighbors jump in to remind her (and share with others!) just how remarkable she is and the many things she has achieved in her career. Ward 4 neighbors who know Jasmine are eager for everyone to learn about the local celebrity in our midst! Jasmine is currently ranked #1 in the U.S. (54 kg class) and is a 10X national boxing champion. You can see her ranking here:
https://www.teamusa.org/usa-boxing/rankings/usa-boxing-rankings-by-division/elite-women
Jasmine has qualified for the Olympic trials in two different weight classes, but I didn’t know quite what this meant until I had the chance to ask her about it. Jasmine placed first in her own weight class and then lost enough weight to compete and qualify in a lower weight class as well! Many boxers are afraid of Jasmine because she is so tough to beat.
The rest of this year, Jasmine is looking ahead to national tournaments in Detroit, Oklahoma, and Texas. This month, she’s also participating in a special tournament in Belfast, Northern Ireland. If you would like to support our own local Ann Arbor Olympic hopeful, I encourage you to visit the GoFundMe organized by her Ward 4 neighbors:
https://www.gofundme.com/f/send-jasmine-to-the-olympics
Jasmine is currently piecing together long term financial support to train for and reach the 2024 Olympics. If you know any local businesses or community leaders who would be interested in boosting and promoting our local boxing champion, please share this information related to sponsorship: (Link to sponsorship proposal)
Jasmine Hampton is someone you should know and she is someone we should all be cheering on!