The 28-year-old, who competes in the women's 66 kg category, has already secured her spot at the Games following successful qualifiers in Italy this March.
Aneta Rygielska. Photo: Darek Matyja/Polish Radio
Rygielska, who trains at the Pomorzanin club in her hometown of Toruń, in Poland's north, says she sometimes has to go abroad for better training opportunities due to a lack of local sparring partners.
Despite acknowledging she's not the top favorite, Rygielska's confidence remains high: "I believe strongly in winning an Olympic medal," she said.
The journey to the Olympics involves not just physical preparation but also mental, with Rygielska spending about 300 days a year training away from home.
Her coach, Kamil Gorząd, notes the challenging nature of Olympic boxing, heavily influenced by match draws and day-to-day performance.
Rygielska's training regimen includes a mix of boxing and acrobatics, emphasizing the importance of strong legs and deep muscle engagement.
Like many other boxers, she compares the sport to dancing: "It really is about dancing because footwork is crucial in our sport. I enjoy various activities and really got into gymnastics during my downtime," she said.
For her, gymnastics is a full-body workout that parallels boxing, requiring significant dynamics and deep muscle work, which makes it a fun alternative to her usual training regimen.
(rt/gs)
Source: PAP, polskieradio.pl