You might remember Vanessa Espinoza as the point guard on the Colorado State University women's basketball team.

Maybe you'll know her again as a professional boxer.

She has been around boxing all her life. Today, she's going to have her first match ever.

"Part of it is in honor of my father," she said.

"Part of it is because it's something I've wanted to do for a long time."

Her father, Abby Espinoza, was a well-known boxer and coach in Denver. He died in October.

"It's an aggressive sport. It's not a team sport. It's just you out there," she said.

"I think boxers are the best athletes in the world.

"You get hit in the face. You're not getting punched in the face in basketball."

So why risk it?

"I've been around it my whole life," she said. "My grandfather, my dad, my uncle were all professional boxers. I loved watching it on TV. I've worked out since I was a little, little girl with my dad. It's like the family sport."

She's in the 119-pound class at the Golden Gloves state tournament that opens at 7 p.m. today at Mile High Events Center, 5155 E. 64th Ave., Commerce City.

Vanessa, 24, lives in Highlands Ranch. She graduated last year with a degree in health and exercise science and now works as a personal trainer.

Her dad encouraged her to play basketball. He'd go to the gym with her and shag her shots.

"That's a tough job," she said. "He'd go with me every day."

She has been working out off and on about a year. She runs a lot - long distance one day, sprints the next.

And she goes to D Town gym at Eighth Avenue and Santa Fe, working out about two hours - warming up, shadow boxing, hitting the heavy bag, sparring, cooling down with more stretches and shadow boxing.

She has her own diet.

"I'm a vegan," she said.

"I make tofu. I eat a ton of veggies. I'll never eat meat again. I've done too much research. And I'm an animal lover."

Her dad knew she wanted to box. He was worried some but didn't try to stop her.

"He was in the hospital when I was training," Vanessa said. "He was excited. But he was a little nervous about me. In his hospital bed, he was showing me combinations.

"He'd say, 'When I get out of here, I'm going to train with you. I can't wait to go to the gym with you.' "

Vanessa won't find out until this morning when her first match is.

She said she really likes her job but will see if there's an opportunity to do something else.

"I'll see where boxing takes me," she said.

It's not all intensity for her.

"I relax by chilling with my dog, a chihuahua named Pebbles," she said.

Better if it was a boxer.

The championships are Saturday. Tickets are $10 general admission, $15 ringside, but opening night general admission is free.

massarog@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-5271.

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