Morelle McCane, the Glenville native and U.S. Olympian, is preparing to bid adieu to Cleveland before heading to Paris for the 2024 Olympic games.
From 5 to 7 p.m. tomorrow, the Glenville Recreation Center – where McCane has trained – will host a send off celebration. Community members are welcome to attend this free event, which will feature food, prizes and the chance to meet McCane.
I had the chance to interview McCane in May about her humble beginnings and path to becoming an Olympian.
She got her start in boxing when her niece and nephew were taking classes at the Glenville Rec Center and she agreed to join them one day for a workout session.
“The class was in a gym, so I was like, ‘I’m just gonna go to get a workout in while they box,’” McCane said. “While I was there, Coach Terrence Montgomery (Coach T) asked to see my form. He told me I had good form for never having boxed before.”
“I grew up with seven siblings, so fighting was something I knew how to do from a very young age,” McCane added.
McCane didn’t look back after that first practice session. She has gone on to win the Cleveland Golden Gloves four times and the silver medal at the Pan American Games and now has her sights set on bringing home Olympic gold this summer.
“I’m gonna look over and see people I’ve watched on TV like Simone Biles,” McCane said. “To see all these young Black females doing well in different sports is very inspiring to me. I like to say I’m representing the United States, but really I’m representing Cleveland.”
To read more about McCane’s journey, check out our interview from last month here. To donate to her Olympic dream, you can donate to her GoFundMe here.
