Claressa Shields is an American professional boxer and mixed martial artist, widely celebrated as one of the greatest female fighters in history. Born on March 17, 1995, in Flint, Michigan, she overcame a difficult childhood and found strength through boxing, starting at the young age of 11. Her early promise in the sport quickly translated into success, and she made history by becoming the first American boxer—male or female—to win consecutive Olympic gold medals, first at the 2012 London Games