Congratulations Hypatia Scholar Lucy Graceffo on winning the 2025 Baraka Bouts Championship. This is the 23rd season of Baraka Bouts at Notre Dame. Every year, Baraka Bouts supports the funding of resources at two Holy Cross schools in Uganda: St. Joseph’s Hill Secondary School in Kyembogo, and Lakeview Secondary School in Jinja.
"I started boxing in the third week of school this semester. My older sister is a manager for the boxing club and she recommended that I join. From my first practice, I found the community to be incredibly supportive and the practices super fun. Boxing became a huge part of my life and something I looked forward to doing almost every day. Sparring was unlike anything I had ever done before. I consider myself to be a civilized person, so being put in a situation where it is acceptable to punch someone as hard as I could was crazy to me. Then came the tournament, the most terrifying three nights of my life. Each round would bring a new level of nervousness and anticipation, and then a wave of joy after I won. Boxing has been one of the biggest but most rewarding challenges I have faced thus far. I am so proud to be a 2025 Baraka Bouts Champion, and I look forward to participating again in the coming years! I absolutely recommend anyone considering it to try it out, especially if they’ve never done anything like it before. Who knows, you might win the whole thing!" -Lucy Graceffo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kio6n9InDhs&t=9776s