Cecilia Brækhus facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cecilia Brækhus
Brækhus modelling at the Oslo Fashion Show, 2010
Statistics
Nickname(s)	The First Lady
Rated at	Welterweight Super welterweight
Height	1.71 m
Nationality	Norwegian
Born	(1981-09-28) 28 September 1981 (age 43) Cartagena, Colombia
Stance	Orthodox
Boxing record
Total fights	41
Wins	38
Wins by KO	9
Losses	2
Draws	1
Medal record Women's amateur boxing Representing  Norway World Championships Silver 2005 Podolsk Light-welterweight European Championships Gold 2005 Tønsberg Light-welterweight Silver 2004 Riccione Light-welterweight

Cecilia Carmen Linda Brækhus (born September 28, 1981) is a famous Norwegian professional boxer who was born in Colombia. She is also a former kickboxer. Nicknamed "The First Lady," she is known as one of the greatest female boxers of all time.

From 2014 to 2020, Brækhus was the undisputed champion in the welterweight division. This means she held all four major championship titles at the same time: the WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO. She was the first woman ever to do this. Only a few boxers in history, male or female, have achieved this amazing feat.

In 2017, the Boxing Writers Association of America named her the first-ever Female Fighter of the Year. Guinness World Records gave her three awards in 2018 for her incredible career. These awards recognized her for having the longest reign as a female boxing champion and the most undefeated fights for a female world champion.

Early Life and Start in Sports

Cecilia Brækhus was born in Cartagena, Colombia. When she was two years old, she was adopted by a Norwegian family and grew up in Bergen, Norway.

She discovered her love for fighting sports as a teenager. At age 14, she began kickboxing. Soon after, she started competing in amateur boxing, where she had an impressive record of 75 wins and only 5 losses before she decided to become a professional.

Amateur Career Achievements

Before turning pro, Brækhus had a very successful career as an amateur fighter. She competed in major international tournaments and won several medals for Norway.

Kickboxing Highlights

• 2003 WAKO World Champion
• 2002 WAKO European Champion
• 3-time National Champion in Norway

Amateur Boxing Medals

• Silver Medal: 2005 World Championships
• Gold Medal: 2005 European Championships
• Silver Medal: 2004 European Championships

Professional Boxing Career

In 2007, Brækhus became a professional boxer. She signed with a German promoter who wanted to help her become Norway's first female world champion. She achieved that goal and much more.

Becoming a Champion

On March 14, 2009, Brækhus won her first world titles. She defeated Danish boxer Vinni Skovgaard to become the WBC and WBA welterweight champion. She continued to defend her titles against other top fighters.

Brækhus after defending her titles against Jill Emery in 2011

In May 2010, she added the WBO title to her collection by beating Victoria Cisneros. Later that year, she also won the WPBF title. By 2014, she made history. After defeating Ivana Habazin, Brækhus became the first woman to hold all four major belts (WBA, WBC, IBF, and WBO) at the same time.

Historic Fights and Later Career

Brækhus's success brought more attention to women's boxing. On May 5, 2018, the major TV network HBO showed its first-ever women's boxing match, featuring Brækhus defending her titles against Kali Reis.

After an amazing undefeated streak, Brækhus lost her titles to Jessica McCaskill in August 2020. She fought McCaskill again in 2021 but lost the rematch.

However, Brækhus did not give up. On August 10, 2024, she returned to the ring and won the interim WBC female super-welterweight title by defeating Maricela Cornejo. This showed she is still a top competitor in the sport.

Professional Boxing Record

See also

In Spanish: Cecilia Brækhus para niños

• List of female boxers
• List of female kickboxers