A Texas amateur boxer turned cheerleader has gone viral after her father recorded her shadow boxing on the sidelines of a youth football game at AT&T Stadium in Dallas — and she hopes the clip of “Mighty Mia” throwing his hands on the field will inspire young girls around the world. globe.
Of course, 14-year-old Mia Penny, of Ingleside, isn't the queen of the jab and jabs — she's the national top dog in the 75- and 85-pound weight classes for her age, according to Channel 3 News in Corpus Christi.
Her father — and boxing coach — Jordan Penny was circumspect when she said earlier this year that she wanted to become a cheerleader, too.
“I didn’t want it to interfere with her boxing or her goals, because she is a national champion,” Jordan said. “She has a lot of talent, and she also has the potential to become a world champion one day.”
But he eventually relented — and last weekend, the father-daughter duo found a new way to combine the two sports in a video that quickly became a viral sensation.
“I was in the middle of the cheering and my dad was like, 'Hey, let's watch a video of you,'” Mia told the network. “And I said to myself: ‘Dad, now is not the right time or the right place.’”
But she overcame her embarrassment and began moving down the Dallas Cowboys' sideline, cutting sharp angles while throwing easy combinations into the air.
“I went over there, started playing Shadowbox, and thought it would be like any other video,” Mia said.
Jordan recorded a 10-second clip from the stands, then posted it to her Instagram page with the caption: “Have you ever seen a cheerleader box like this?”
The Coastal Bend girl quickly became famous on Instagram for her amazing skills, receiving 380,000 likes on the video, which was later shared by ESPN, and garnering millions of views.
Commenters on Instagram marveled at her boxing acumen and made jokes about her fierce style.
“If she says, ‘Give me a Y!’ you better give her a Y,” one quipped.
“Guess who doesn't get teased at school?” Another user said.
“You've got a bigger fight than the team playing on that field,” a third said, mocking the Cowboys' lackluster season.
Her father hopes the clip will influence girls his teenage daughter has never met before.
“I really think the video will inspire little girls all over the world,” said Jordan, who coaches at a nonprofit that teaches kids boxing.
But “Mighty Mia” – who first strapped on gloves at the age of six – said she hopes recognition from the video will help her land opportunities and sponsors in the tough world of boxing.
“I continued to put God first and continued to show up every day, even on the days I didn’t want to,” Mia said.
Now, the 2028 Olympic hopeful is focused on her impending bouts at the 2024 USA Boxing Championships in Richmond, Virginia, later this month.
But Jordan said he's grateful his daughter has picked up the new sport — despite his previous reservations.
“I was also able to join the cheerleading team, make new friends and learn a new skill,” he said. “I think it really helped her with boxing as well.”
