Punching her Way to Glory: Jennah Creason Delivers a Knockout Performance in Germany

In July, Jennah Creason, ’24, traveled abroad with Team USA due to her boxing talents. Returning from Germany, Creason reminisces about the trip and how she will move forward with the insights granted by this opportunity.

By: Donya Hassanshahi

Security presents comfortability. A space where one is open to expression. A space where an individual is able to ignite the spark within oneself.

At school, adolescents may find themselves through academics and extracurriculars. At public sanctions, people may find themselves through interactions between similar individuals.

In the ring, a girl found herself, her potential, and her passion simultaneously.

Dimmed lights, zoned in. Whistles echo, yet her head is in the game. Her mind is focused. Her eyes showcase the fiery umber festering within herself.

Thousands of miles away, Jennah Creason, ’24, broadened her horizons by attending the Brandenburg Cup, her first international tournament, with Team USA in Lindow Mark, Germany. There, she accumulated first place.

Leaving towards the end of July, Creason returned during mid-August. “I was gone almost a whole month. I was two weeks at the Olympic Training center in Colorado Springs, and then one week in Lindow Mark, Germany, which is about two hours from Berlin,” she says.

Despite missing her last first day of high school, her senior year holds bright beginnings for her future.

Since the age of nine, Creason has instilled dedication. Practice after practice, her growth does not go unnoticed.

Back in March of 2023, she was recruited to compete on Team USA. Prior, Creason had just completed an undefeated wrestling season as a member of Redwood Rangers Varsity Girls’ Wrestling. She won forty-four matches and had thirty-nine pins last season. She then went on to win CIF championships in February.

Throughout the trip, Creason acquainted with athletes from approximately ten countries during warm-ups and at the multination bootcamp. “It was really cool seeing the different countries there. I got really close with Ireland, England, and Germany mostly, and just getting to see the way they interact with each other—which was still kind of similar—but you could tell that they have different traditions in their countries and just being able to experience that first-hand was incredible. And, their lingo was my favorite part. It was so much fun, especially with England because we both speak English, but different types of English, so I was trying to calls things the same thing,” she says.

As she embraces the opportunities granted, Creason says, “It was definitely a really fun experience, definitely something different—especially going to another country. It was all new, but it was super fun.”

In past endeavors, Creason had not traveled by herself, much less traveled for that length of time. Although the experience overall had many positives, she says, “Other than with the team [USA], I didn’t have my coaches, I didn’t have my dad, and so being away this long and this far was faintly opening a new side of me—learning how to be completely ‘on my own’ kind of thing—but still in a team-setting to where we all supported each other.”

During this period of physical growth, Creason underwent mental maturation. Given the enjoyable encounters she had with her teammates and environment, she says “It was really fun getting to know, not only my team, but the other teams, and really grow in mature and grow in the sport; honestly, just getting better as an athlete and as a person.”

A typical day for Creason starts with 6AM MMA practice till 7:30AM. Following this, she is present at school from periods one, 8:30AM, to five, 2:33PM. After checking in with Redwood’s athletic trainer during her free sixth period, she attends boxing practice from 4PM to 6:30PM. Depending on the day, Creason will either have jiu jitsu or karate from 6:30PM to 7:30PM, in addition to a practice following till 8:30PM. After her eventful day, Creason will complete personal items on her agenda. With her schedule only increasing in intensity since returning from Germany, she says her ambitions are accomplished by believing, “If there’s a will, there’s a way.”

In her life, God serves a large role. Throughout the entirety of her trip, a verse Creason kept near and dear was Psalm 37:5, “Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him, and he will act.” She says, “…This was a very far and long trip that I didn’t have any family or my coaches [and] team. I was originally so nervous I didn’t even want to go, but this is what I used to pray about it and I left it all in Gods hands, and he took care of it all and I didn’t even worry at all while I was there.”

To reach family, friends, and fans, Creason is active on YouTube (Jennahthegemmma), Instagram (Jennahthegem), and Facebook (Jennah Creason) social accounts. These accounts impart insight into the tenacious, accomplished athlete.

Creason is adamant on persistence. Through thick and thin, she remains motivated despite the hardships she faced, such as the distance between Creason and her loved ones while departed.

“Just really thinking about the big picture: winning thus, what this is going to do for my career, what is this going to do for my resume—knowing that this is another building block for me. Sticking to that and knowing that when I came home I knew I had so many supporters, family, and friends. I also got a lot of love and text messages from kids from the gym that I help coach one in a while, and just knowing that this can be a bigger thing that I do—put myself on a higher platform—but also give all the glory to God and, hopefully, be an inspiration to the younger fighters in my gym. A lot of them are just in awe over the fact that I went to Germany…best thing ever.”

Jennah Creason, ’24

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