MARIAH BAHE: When I was little, my brothers were all into boxing, and I would come to the gym with them, but I wouldn't practice because my dad didn't want me to.

JOHN BAHE: I said, "No, you don't need to box.

"You can go play volleyball, play basketball, be a cheerleader, you know, do, do something else."

(electric signal beeps) MARIAH BAHE: I always thought that everything that my brothers could do, I could do better.

JOHN BAHE: You're hitting low-- pinpoint.

MARIAH BAHE: So it kind of bugged me that they were boxing and I wasn't.

JOHN BAHE: She goes, "No, I'm going to box.

I'm going to box, I'm going to box."

We fought.

(both grunting) MARIAH BAHE: We fought for a couple of years, but...

I won.

(chuckles) NARRATOR: Her winning streak continues.

At age 18, Mariah Bahe is a seven-time national amateur boxing champion.

JOHN BAHE: Head movement!

NARRATOR: Now she's got her sights on representing the U.S. and Navajo Nation... (both grunting and exhaling) NARRATOR: ...going for gold at the 2024 Olympics.

JOHN BAHE: Head movement.

NARRATOR: Her coach is her dad, Johnny Bahe.

JOHN BAHE: She's my princess.

And that's where her team name comes from, is Team Princess.

NARRATOR: Johnny's great-uncle, Lee Damon, a World War II veteran, learned to box in the service.

JOHN BAHE: Now you're sweating!

NARRATOR: When he returned home to Chinle, Arizona, he found many in the community struggling with gang violence and drug abuse.

He built this gym to teach his nephews the sport and keep them safe.

JOHN BAHE: My dad picked it up, said it saved his life, you know, kept him out of trouble, kept him in the gym, away from gangs, away from alcohol and drugs, as well.

Eventually, I took over.

You need to jab and move.

MARIAH BAHE: My brothers inspire me.

I see them as my biggest competition.

(electric signal beeps) So I can overstep them or work harder than them.

JOHN BAHE: Step around him-- good.

Good body hit.

MARIAH BAHE: My first match, I remember, before going into the ring, I was crying because I was scared and I was nervous.

(grunting) When you move to your left, triple jab.

Jab, jab, jab, step over.

JOHN BAHE: Good girl.

MARIAH BAHE: After the first round, I was really calm, and then we continued to fight and I lost.

But I was happy because it was my first fight.

(grunting) JOHN BAHE: And I figured, a couple of fights down the road, she's going to get hit hard.

She's not going to want to compete no more.

You're starting to get tired, you gotta move your head-- that's part of your defense.

(voiceover): She went to a national tournament.

(present): Good counter!

And she fought a young lady who threw the perfect hook.

♪ ♪ Fractured her nose.

I said, "Okay, I guess we're done with boxing with her.

We'll keep up with my boys."

♪ ♪ But once the nose healed, she was back in the ring.

(electric signal beeps) Good job, guys.

ELVINA BAHE: This is one of your fights here.

The one in South Dakota.

(Mariah chuckles) I love your entrance here, it's pretty cool, with the flag.

They never know how to say "Bahe."

I know.

MARIAH BAHE (voiceover): When I was growing up, my mom was basically the only woman I had in my life.

She's my best friend.

She's the hardest worker I've seen.

And I cherish the times I have with her.

What were you thinking then?

- I was scared.

- Why?

Because she was older and she was bigger.

ELVINA BAHE: I mean, you can see it right there.

(voiceover): I push my daughter and my kids to go off and go do things.

I tell her, "Don't, don't let a man work for you," you know?

"Be your own boss and make your own money "and buy your own house.

Do it for yourself."

I know it wasn't easy, but... (Mariah laughs) You made it look easy.

(voiceover): She wants to be the first Native American female to compete on the United States boxing team in the Olympics.

MARIAH BAHE (voiceover): The Olympics has always been my goal, since I had my first fight.

JOHN BAHE: Her goals, her ambitions have pushed her a long ways.

She's only 18, she's a seven-time national boxing champion.

(fight bell ringing) I've seen her compete with the top females in the nation.

And I've heard them say, "I'm going to knock out "this little Indian girl.

I'm going to stop her."

At the end of the fight, Mariah's still standing.