Meet Fredia Gibbs, the Chester, Pennsylvania, kickboxing champion dubbed the "female Rocky"
The beat of the drums echoed outside Chester City Hall as retired professional athlete Fredia Gibbs returned home to be celebrated for making history as the first Black woman to win a world kickboxing title.
"It takes a village to build a champion and Chester is my village," Gibbs said. "They built me. Chester made me who I am today."
On Thursday, the city gave Gibbs a hero's welcome, complete with a bronze statue dedicated to her legacy. Originally displayed at her alma mater, Cabrini University, the statue now has a permanent home in Chester, the place where her journey began.
"Why am I crying?" Gibbs said as she saw the statue. "Because it's home, that's why! Right where it belongs."
Gibbs' journey wasn't easy. As a child, she faced bullying and fear until her uncle, William Grose, taught her karate to build her confidence.
"My goal was to teach her to be the best that she could be," Grose said. "I automatically saw that she had champion blood in her body."
From karate to kickboxing, Gibbs shattered stereotypes and became a champion.
"Being in a male-dominated sport, combat sports, and breaking barriers there in that area right there, that was very, it was very tough," Gibbs said.
Her statue stands as a testament to perseverance, showing that the toughest battles can shape the strongest champions.
"Don't quit because sometimes when we just about to quit, we got maybe two more steps to go before we win," Gibbs said.
Dubbed the "female Rocky," Gibbs' story is now heading to Hollywood, with a feature film about her life set for release in 2026. Academy Award-nominated screenwriters and producers Paul Tamasy and Eric Johnson, along with Emmy-nominated producer Marc Ambrose, are working on the project.