Independent Lens

T-Rex: Her Fight for Gold

Flint, Michigan’s Claressa "T-Rex" Shields won a Gold Medal in 2012, the first time women were allowed to box in the Olympics. T-Rex is a coming-of-age tale of a girl who learns that in Flint, a gold medal doesn't always make life easier.

T-Rex: Her Fight for Gold - Trailer

30s

17-year-old boxer Claressa "T-Rex" Shields rose from the streets of Flint, Michigan to the gold medal podium at London 2012, the first time women were allowed to box in the Olympics. But as we see in the coming-of-age story T-Rex: Her Fight for Gold, life outside the ring may be an even tougher fight.

Previews + Extras

  • T-Rex: Her Own Harshest Critic: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    T-Rex: Her Own Harshest Critic

    S17 E20 - 1m 29s

    In this excerpt from the Independent Lens film T-Rex: Her Fight for Gold, Claressa "T-Rex" Shields is upset with herself for not achieving a higher score in a bout even though she won the fight. As reporters stand by, her coach tries to get her to move past it ("We won...it's a business"), but Claressa's not having any of it.

  • T-Rex: Coaching Claressa: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    T-Rex: Coaching Claressa

    S17 E20 - 2m 17s

    In this excerpt from the Independent Lens film T-Rex: Her Fight for Gold, Claressa "T-Rex" Shields and her coach Jason Crutchfield reminisce about how she first began as a boxer. Crutchfield first saw Shields box when she was all of 11 years old. Despite his reservations about girls boxing, Crutchfield took Claressa under his wing when he saw how quickly she excelled in the sport.

  • T-Rex: Boxing and Dating: asset-mezzanine-16x9

    T-Rex: Boxing and Dating

    S17 E20 - 2m 21s

    In this excerpt from the Independent Lens film T-Rex: Her Fight for Gold, Claressa "T-Rex" Shields talks about dating her boyfriend Rell, and how she hasn't told her coach Jason Crutchfield about it because it's a violation of his "law." We see Claressa all dressed up for her big date at a school dance before a cynical Jason confronts her about this relationship.

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