San Antonio resident Aki Epenisa carries Tonga’s flag at Summer Olympics’ opening ceremony Aki Epenisa is the first female Olympic boxer to represent Tonga
SAN ANTONIO – A few weeks ago, KSAT shared the remarkable story of Aki Epenisa, the first female Olympic boxer to represent Tonga .
During the 2024 Summer Olympics’ opening ceremony Friday in Paris, Epenisa was chosen to be a flag bearer and hold her island’s flag as she and her teammates went down the Seine River.
Before she left for Paris, Epenisa told KSAT how she was mentally preparing for the moment she would make Tongan history.
“Staying humble, staying true to my roots, staying to myself and my core values and making sure that everything that I do is with a purpose,” Epenisa said. “I need to understand I’m not just carrying myself. I’m carrying the people who have stepped in to help me. I’m carrying, you know, my island. I’m carrying a lot of people with me. This journey is just not about me.”
Epenisa will be competing in the women’s lightweight division. Her first bout will be against Vietnam’s Ha Thi Linh on Saturday morning.
More 2024 Paris Olympics-related coverage on KSAT:
Copyright 2024 by KSAT - All rights reserved.
About the Author Nick Mantas headshot
Nick Mantas is an award-winning sports reporter who joined the KPRC 2 Sports Team in September of 2025, coming from channel 2's sister station, KSAT in San Antonio. Before reporting on the San Antonio Spurs for two years, he spent three years in Lansing, Michigan, and one year in Abilene, Texas. He's Greek & a native of Brookline, Massachusetts.
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