By Renae Jones
Western Australia’s Lekeisha Pergoliti has been named Commonwealth Games Australia’s Emerging Athlete of the Month for September, following a breakout silver medal performance at the 2025 World Boxing Championships in Liverpool.
The 23-year-old was the first boxer to secure a medal, cementing her place among the sport’s rising stars. The achievement marked another milestone in her remarkable rise through the junior, youth and now senior ranks.
“I love what I do and I am so grateful to be living my dream life representing Australia on the world stage,” Pergoliti shared.
A three-time state champion, two-time national champion and two-time National Golden Gloves winner, Pergoliti’s story is one of steady growth and perseverance.
Sport has always been part of her life, but boxing wasn’t her first love.
“I played lots of sports growing up but soccer was the main one,” she recalled.
It wasn’t until she broke her ankle at 14 that her dad encouraged her to train in the backyard gym he ran for local fighters.
“Once I tried it for myself, I couldn’t take the gloves off. After my first fight I knew straight away I wanted to take it as far as I could.”
That early setback became the start of a new passion.
“I learnt very early on in my journey how to deal with hardships and to not give up when things get difficult,” she reflected.
“There is always a way, and we always have a choice. Perseverance truly knows no failure.”
Reflecting on her Liverpool campaign, Pergoliti said one of her highlights came in the quarterfinals against Ireland, a close contest decided in the final round.
“When my hand got raised and I was announced the winner, I was filled with so much emotion and excitement.”
“Hearing my team cheer for me the whole fight and go crazy when I won will be something I never forget.”
The silver medal capped off a stellar season with five international tournaments and five finals.
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Looking ahead, Pergoliti now has her sights set on qualifying for the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow and ‘standing on top of that podium is a major goal in her career.’
While Pergoliti admits to a few superstitions – from journaling and visualising before heading to the venue, to a small ‘marshmallow sugar boost’ during warm-up – her focus remains firmly on performance.
“I really take it one fight at a time and focus on the task in front of me,” she said.
Outside of the ring, Pergoliti is ‘really enjoying being a full-time athlete’ after sponsorship last year ended her need to juggle multiple jobs.
She’s quick to credit those who’ve supported her along the way.
“My family have been with me through all the highs and lows – they are my rocks,” she said.
“My coaches Justin Lacey and Santiago Nieva, the team at WAIS (Western Australia Institute of Sport), Boxing Australia, and everyone who’s supported me all have a special place in my heart.”
From a backyard shed to the world stage, Lekeisha’s rise through Australian boxing is a story of resilience, belief and relentless pursuit, and with Glasgow 2026 in her sights, she’s only just beginning.
The Commonwealth Games serves as a platform for developing the future stars of Australian sport and the Emerging Athlete of the Year forms part of a refreshed Awards and Honours program developed by the CGA Heritage and Awards Committee.
The CGA Emerging Athlete of the Year Award celebrates the next generation of Australian sport stars and those that may make an impact for Australia at major sport events in the future.
Over the course of 2025, an athlete will be recognised each month as the Emerging Athlete of the Month and will receive a $500 contribution towards their training and competition expenses.
Three finalists from the monthly winners will then split a $7000 cash prize, with the winner receiving $5000 and the two runners-up $1000 respectively.
