As a young kid from Ohio, Cleveland, Morelle McCane would wander in the snow and rain and repeat to herself, “I wanna be somebody.” She was determined to put an end to the traumas that were being passed down through the generations in her family. Though she had never considered a career in boxing, her perspective on the world changed after she visited a boxing gym with her niece. Since then, McCane has been boxing, and as she got better she saw that her ambitions were drawing closer. She will now represent USA Boxing in the 2024 Olympics in Paris.

Her path has not been paved with roses. The rising boxing star has had her fair share of obstacles in the past. But find out what and who enabled Morelle McCane to develop into the person she is now. 

Morelle McCane’s parents, siblings, and early life

Born on January 20th, 1995, Morelle was born to Gregory Sr. McCane and Jocelyn McCane-Adams. She has nine siblings, five sisters – Marissa, Miranda, Meriah, Rachel Sims, Amiracle Adams, and step-sister Ashlyn Bohles. In addition, she has four brothers, Anton, Adahm, Aaron, and Gregory Andre Adams Jr. Tragically, her younger brother Gregory Jr. passed away in July 2013.

Throughout her early years, the Ohio native developed an intense love for basketball. She even fantasized about playing in the WNBA. But over time, Morelle McCane came to realize that after the ninth grade, she was stagnating. There’s an interesting story of how she got into boxing. She once went to the boxing gym with her niece and nephew, who were taking boxing lessons. She thought that she would only train and return. But coach Terence Montgomery told her that she had good form for becoming a boxer. She started boxing after that, and then there was no turning back. 

Currently, Morelle McCane leads a very monotonous routine. “My days start at 6:30 a.m. I train six days a week, three times a day.” However, her upbringing was not marked by affluence or strict discipline. She has spent some part of her childhood in foster homes, as her mother struggled with addiction. Later, after growing up, she moved to Atlanta and fell in love with the city’s party scene. However, she returned to her hometown for her family’s sake after her brother passed away, and she ultimately resumed boxing professionally. 

McCane remembers her brother

The loss of her brother deeply hurt Morelle McCane on the inside. She poured out her heart in an interview while talking about her brother’s passing. McCane started crying while speaking and said, “Life has been like up and down. I think the biggest thing that affected my life would be the passing of my little brother. I just remember, at my first fight, my brother was like so happy, he wore the belt in the neighborhood. I was like, ‘Take it off, it is so annoying’ and then like now I think back on those moments and I’m just like, I’m so happy like we had that moment. I wish he was here to see it now. He’ll be watching, but it’s nothing like a physical appearance.”

Morelle McCane continued to train more and work harder due to being emotionally overwhelmed. However, she overcame her suffering and is now on the way to helping the US win a gold medal. It’s interesting to note that she is the first Cleveland-born female boxer to earn an Olympic spot. She believes, “We hold ourselves back the most cuz we’re afraid of the trauma that we faced or just not believing in ourselves. You definitely need to get it in your mind. That’s where it starts.”

The 29-year-old is now taking everything she has experienced in life and using it to her advantage to help her nation win an Olympic gold medal. She has a large support network surrounding her, and it goes without saying that her nation wants her to succeed on the biggest sporting platform in the world.