Boxer Marilyn Badillo Brings Message of Hope to Cancún Prison

Cancún, Quintana Roo — Mexican professional boxer Marilyn Badillo brought her story of setbacks and comebacks to the Cereso prison in Cancún on Friday, telling inmates taking part in a rehabilitation tournament that defeat does not define a person.

The international champion spoke to participants in the “Knockout, Don’t Throw in the Towel” tournament about the difficulties she has faced inside and outside the ring, and about the importance of getting up after a fall and seizing the chance to change the direction of a life.

Badillo, a native of Cuautitlán Izcalli in the State of Mexico, recalled that boxing came into her life almost by chance. Her mother was looking for after-school activities for her and her siblings, and after they tried several sports, boxing was the one that stuck.

“To me, boxing is magical,” said the fighter, who began her amateur career in 2012 and ran up 68 fights without a loss before turning professional.

A Loss Can Also Become a Lesson

Badillo made her professional debut at 17 and built a career that carried her to international titles. But she said one of the hardest experiences of her career came when she traveled alone to a fight in Los Angeles without her father, who is both her trainer and a constant presence along much of her sporting path.

That trip ended in defeat, and beyond the result, the boxer recalled the emotional toll of being alone at a moment she had waited years for.

“I packed my dreams in a backpack and I left with that,” she said of the journey.

The experience, she said, taught her that losses are also part of the process and can become an opportunity to learn.

“Sometimes your ego gets the better of you, sometimes not thinking your decisions through and the path you take lead to this kind of experience,” she said.

Over time, Badillo arrived at a lesson she now passes on to people going through difficult circumstances: “If you fall seven times, you have to get up eight.”

For the boxer, getting stuck on a mistake or a defeat blocks progress, while learning from what happened can turn a fall into fresh momentum.

“Defeat doesn’t define you. A defeat, a mistake, an error — none of them define you,” she said.

The Ring as a Chance to Change

Speaking to the tournament participants, the fighter also described what sport can mean for those trying to change their lives.

She explained that stepping into the ring does not necessarily mean chasing a world title. It can also be a way to find discipline, release emotions, discover abilities and build new goals.

“You don’t only step into the ring to become world champion. You step into the ring to clear your head,” she said.

In that sense, she described boxing as a tool that can help people facing hard times.

“Boxing for me is a key, it’s wings,” she said.

Badillo said those “wings” allow a person to step back from a complicated reality and find space to work on themselves, while also stressing the value of other outlets such as art and music.

‘Everyone Has a Beautiful Spark’

The boxer also praised the talent displayed by the participants and urged them not to be limited by past mistakes. Speaking in front of their families and fellow inmates, she said the circumstances a person has lived through do not necessarily determine what they can build from now on.

“That doesn’t define you. Today you have a new opportunity to move forward,” she said.

Her message was aimed at those taking part in the program as a way to build discipline and pick up new tools they can use once they regain their freedom.

Badillo said that even those who initially have no intention of stepping into the ring can find motivation in sport by watching their companions’ efforts.

“Everyone, without exception, has a very beautiful spark inside. You just have to discover it,” she said.

The athlete closed by inviting participants to make the most of each day to find whatever allows them to give their lives new meaning.

“We have every day, every hour and every minute to discover what this life lesson was. Why am I here today?” she asked.

Badillo holds international titles in the flyweight and light flyweight divisions and has combined her fighting career with training as an industrial engineer. Her story, marked by both wins and losses, was brought to the Cancún prison as part of a day in which boxing also became a space to talk about discipline, second chances and personal transformation.