Naomi Graham Looks To Punch Her Ticket To The Olympics

Graham grew up in Fayetteville, NC, which houses the army base Ft Bragg, now called Ft Liberty. There isn’t much there regarding entertainment, as it caters to adult military members, and there is no shortage of restaurants, adult cabarets, and banking installations. Graham quickly realized that Fayetteville, NC, wasn’t where she wanted to plant roots, so when the time came, joining the Army in hopes of going somewhere different was at the top of the list.

Graham was 21-22 when she joined the Army. “I always wanted to be part of something bigger than myself and give back. I would talk to my mom a lot about her stories, so it was always something I felt like I wanted to do”, said Graham. There, she discovered the World Class Athlete Program (WCAP) that the Army offers, a complete boxing team that competes year-round.

Her interest in the sport didn’t start with the Army; it first came into play at nine years old, watching her sister compete. “My sister used to compete when I was younger, as she is six years older than me. My mom allowed her to box but didn’t allow me to do it since I was the youngest. She said I could go to the practice and watch, but I couldn’t hit the bag or do anything like that. I remember the vibe of the gym. Everyone was really close and it felt like family in there. I always wanted to box.” Graham continued, “I’m a little different as I didn’t watch a whole lot of boxing (growing up). It was just something that was always inside of me, and I didn’t understand it then, but it was always inside of me.”

That desire inside to become a fighter was fulfilled by chance. Graham was sent to Ft. Carson, Colorado, where the WCAP has its headquarters. She happened to walk by and see the program and what it was all about, and that was all she needed. “I always said it was meant to be,” said Graham enthusiastically. “At first, it was just a passion and something I wanted to do after I got off work. Then I saw the athletes on the window and asked about the program, which eventually led to the coach (Charles Leverette) there discovering me.”

Joining the team led to Graham making it to the Olympics in 2021, an experience like no other. Graham admitted the opportunity was an “overwhelming feeling” and that, as an athlete, you must be disciplined to maintain focus throughout the games. Meditation helped her get through it, and she was able to extend that approach to others on the team that struggled with the pressures of competing at the Olympics.

Now Graham has a final opportunity to punch her ticket to France, flying out May 12 for the last chance qualifiers in Thailand. Graham is oozing with confidence and knows that she will be on that plane ride to France. If that all comes to fruition, the next goal is to go home with a medal.

Regardless of the outcome in Thailand, Graham has given close to 15 years of military service and has represented the U.S. in the Olympics, making her a great role model. Things do happen when you put in the work and believe in yourself. Graham is the perfect example of that, and it shouldn’t be surprising if she does make it to France.