and her father. >> out of the red corner, marlen esparza, houston, texas. christina cruz, new york, new york. >> marlen comes out swinging. then lets christina run. >> come on, christina! >> yes! >> there you go! [ buzzer ] >> yes! yes, marlen! >> your winner, out of the red corner, marlen esparza, houston, texas. >> you beat her easy. easy. easy. >> because i was like, man, i was like, if i lose to the same person in a row, when i've never lost to anybody twice in my life. >> my timing was a bit off. towards the later rounds i was getting tired. she put more pressure on me. this time she waited a little, which i didn't expect. >> how did it feel? >> it felt really good. i think after she beat me, a lot of people were thinking maybe i'm not the one that's going to win anymore. and i think after that one, it was kind of like, it was just an accident. it was just a mistake. >> anybody checking in to vip? >> welcome to the 2011 usa boxing national championships. >> after i beat christina, i was done. i was like, i won. i kept having to tell myself, marlen, you

. >> marlen esparza!> eight spots at the olympic trials as the national champion, she is offered the first. >> the olympics is a big goal. >> yeah, it's huge. i honestly truly feel if i go to the olympics and medal, that i could probably be totally happy for the rest of my life. yeah, like completely happy. >> reporter: marlen is on her way. when, suddenly, her competitors sue saying marlen should have to fight them first for one of the coveted spot. >> it's stressful. it's something that i've been working for my whole life, and then not only did this come out of nowhere, but then there's the pressure not that anybody puts direct pressure on me, but i know that people are expecting from me. >> reporter: usa boxing decides to schedule a box-off. >> one thing about boxing, anything can happen. i beat all of them fairly easy. the closest bout i ever has was against christina cruz. >> reporter: christina cruz, just one of the champion fighters marlen will have to face. what happens if you lose in colorado? >>

>> no. >> reporter: that is a lot of noes. >> yes. >> marlen esparza! championships by age 16. she dreamed of fighting at the olympics even though boxing was the only sport that didn't allow women. >> it was a big goal. >> yes, it is huge. i feel like if i go to the olympics and medal that i could probably be totally happy for the rest of my life. yeah, like completely happy. >> reporter: and now the olympic glass ceiling has been shattered. women will be boxing at the london games for the first time in history. sponsors have lined up behind marlen, nike, cover girl, coca-cola. and her community is excited to have a latina star. >> the mexicans are totally going to love it. they will freak when it happens. >> reporter: esparza was the first american female boxer to qualify for the games. her dream of going to the olympics is now just around the corner. >> i think that the atmosphere and the energy is going to be just like something that i have never felt and that is one of the main things that i'm kind of looking forward to. that is going to put me over

. >> la mexicano marlene esparza se convirtió en la primer amujer en calificar como boxeadora .

el que marlen esparza gane la medalla de oro paga 20 a uno, las probabilidade s no son muy buenas perosan que las apuestas le dan al evento un matiz negativo por mas que los britanicos esten apoyando mayoritariame nte a su equipo. sot, cg: osman murillo, judoka costarricense "a mi personalment e si se cobrara algun porcentaje que llegara al comit olimpico o a los atletas directamente no me molestaria. si terceras personas estuvieran lucrando con los atletas sin que ellos perciban nada podria decir que esta mal." cesar ----ahora pasamos con ramon diaz y el deportivo... blanca ---adelante ramon... take pkg blanca ---ultima pausa en su

. >>> marlen esparza's early mornings always start with math. how much to eat. how far to run.hes. how many endless hours of training will it take to win? why are you here every day? >> because i want to win. this is my life and this is what i do, like, and i can honestly say, like, this is who i am. like, right here, you're with it. you see it. this is what i do. >> marlen is the five-time national boxing champion. >> morning. >> good morning. >> she only interrupts her training to work at this houston dental office with her mother, carmen. >> i've seen her come in and she's all, like, just pouring down sweat. and when she's training really hard, i'm like, marlen, you want to eat something? she's like, no, i can't. i can't. she makes me want to cry when she does that. >> the family struggles to find the money for national tournaments. >> i've gone as far as even here at work. to say, hey, we -- you know, we don't have the money to send