Yecson Preciado was born and raised in Guayaquil, a port city which serves as Ecuador’s commercial capital, but also has the highest poverty rate in the country. He was brought up by a dangerous father who regularly abused him as a child. At just ten-years-old, Yecson had enough and chose to run away to live on the dangerous streets, rather than be beaten by his parent.
He spent two months on his own, before he was adopted by a local family. When his new mother asked him what he wanted to be when he grew up, Yecson, likely as a result of his violent past, told her his dream of becoming a professional boxer.
Yecson’s new family helped him pursue his passion by buying him all the gear he needed to get started, and set him up in boxing classes for teens. He spent the rest of his childhood spar boxing with his mentor, Chango, and went into the sport professionally.
Yecson fought some of the country’s greatest boxers and managed to become a local legend, before finally retiring. He now works as a security guard at the Guayaquil port, but can barely feed his family on his meager salary.
How Does Yecson Preciado Make A Difference?
Yecson, like many Ecuadorians, lives below the nation’s poverty line. The country’s economy has been in decline for nearly a decade, and during the pandemic, Ecuador’s poverty rate surged from 27.2% to 37.6%.
Despite his own personal struggles, Yecson put others’ needs before his own on a daily basis. In 2014, he opened a boxing gym and has dedicated his life to teach local children in his boxing classes, which can be a direct ticket to a better life in the impoverished country.