Cleveland has produced some of the world’s great talents. Al Roker, Dorothy Dandridge, Halle Berry and Arsenio Hall are just a few of the big names who grew up in or got their start in Cleveland. A young boxer from Glenville is looking to add her name to that roster of icons.
Morelle McCane, 29, qualified for the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris after finishing in the top two at the Pan American Games in Santiago, Chile, in October. She is the first female boxer from Cleveland to compete in the Olympics.
I met with McCane at the Green Goat Cafe Bar on Superior Avenue. I immediately noticed her as she entered the building, wearing a black turtleneck with gold accents.
The vibe: calm and collected as patrons enjoyed their food and drinks. A couple recognized McCane and called out to her as she walked in. She went over to their table and greeted them as they congratulated her on her success and wished her luck at the Olympics.
“Thank you!” she said with a smile as she waved goodbye.
We found a corner table, where the sun shone brightly through the window next to us. Standing at 5’7” and 145 pounds, McCane cozied up in the booth as she looked around the room.
“Have you been here before?” she asked me.
“It’s my first time here. It’s very nice.” I replied. I can’t help but join her in admiring the large open windows and the green and brown furniture placed throughout the cafe. She declined a coffee and jumped into our conversation.
From basketball to boxing
McCane has always had an interest in sports. Basketball was her initial passion before boxing came into the picture.
“I thought I was going to be in the WNBA, but I realized I wasn’t growing anymore after the 9th grade!” McCane said.
She was introduced to boxing when she decided to accompany her niece and nephew to a boxing class they were taking.
“The class was in a gym, so I was like, ‘I’m just gonna go to get a workout in while they box,’” McCane said. “While I was there, Coach Terrence Montgomery (Coach T) asked to see my form. He told me I had good form for never having boxed before. I grew up with seven siblings, so fighting was something I knew how to do from a very young age.”
First fight
After receiving that positive feedback from Coach T, McCane went home and studied YouTube videos of different boxers. The next day, Coach T invited her back to the gym. Surprisingly, he asked her to step into the ring with another boxer who was training there. She felt ready.
“He put me in the ring with another boy at the gym. Before we started he was telling Coach T, ‘I’m gonna go easy on her’ and I was offended!” McCane said
“Easy … on me? So I just remember swinging on him and landing it. It was a good shot,” she said. “Mind you, this was my first time in the ring. He hit me right back, and all I remember is seeing stars!” she said as she burst into laughter.
“That was my first time ever having a black eye.”
Even though that first outing was tough, that experience made McCane hungry for more.
“I got really motivated after that. I told myself that I was gonna train hard so that I could beat him up,” she said.
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Morelle McCane practices shadow boxing at Glenville Rec Center 
The wrap is meant to protect the tendons and ligaments in a boxers hands. McCane has been boxing more than 10 years. 
Gia Mattice looks McCane as McCane speaks with she and her father 
Community members are excited to see McCane go to Paris and represent Cleveland.
Building skills
As the years went by, McCane continued to develop her skills – in her neighborhood by boxing in different backyards and at the Bob Davis Boxing Club on the 2nd floor of the Glenville Recreation Center. She fell in love with the sport. McCane never planned on competing, but one day she was offered a chance to participate in the Cleveland Golden Gloves. She felt good about the work she had put in and decided to enter. She won the tournament. After her first tournament win, she was hooked. McCane continued to compete and win in local, national and international competitions.
Boxing through adversity
The path to McCane’s boxing success hasn’t always been straight. After graduating from high school, McCane moved to Atlanta. Having lived in Cleveland all of her life, she was craving a change of scenery. She was also continuing to find her identity during that time and was eager to embrace adulthood. As time went by, she began to lose interest in boxing, training less and indulging more in the Atlanta party scene.
“I was partying a lot and wasn’t in the gym. I wasn’t focused, and deep down I really wasn’t happy,” McCane said.
Tragedy struck when her brother in Cleveland suddenly passed away shortly after Morelle’s first amateur fight in 2013. His death guided her decision to return home.
“My mom was really out of it after that happened. My sister had just had a baby. I knew that I had to go back and help them.”
Family means everything
McCane credits her family and team for coming together for her during that time, encouraging her to keep boxing through the tough times and ultimately to make her dream of becoming an Olympian come true.
“It’s so surreal to me. I had a super hard upbringing. I was in foster care, my mom was in and out of my life as she struggled with addiction,” McCane said. “When you become an adult, you see how hard being an adult really is. Things happen. I came to forgive her for not always being there. She eventually got herself together.”
McCane paused as she began to tear up.
“My mom just loves and supports me and my brothers and sisters so much,” McCane said. “Knowing where I come from … St. Clair and an unstable household. I can now provide my family with a better life. It’s such an honor.”
Tears began to fall as she continued to speak.
“I just always knew that God had more in store for me. That’s something I always believed.”
“As a kid, all that walking in the rain and snow, I just remember thinking, ‘I wanna be somebody’ and also thinking that I had to get my mom out the ‘hood. Knowing I have chances to break these generational traumas … it’s a lot.”
“Rise Up” by Audra Day began to play in the cafe.
“I love this song,” McCane said as she dried her tears and we continued the conversation.
Team U.S.A.
McCane found success at the Pan American Games last October when she won the silver medal and qualified for the 2024 Paris Olympics as a result. She clicked her tongue and smirked at the mention of the medal. She acknowledged her opponent got the better of her the day, but she believes the next time they face off, she will win.
“She’s lucky, she’s lucky” McCane said with a disapproving grin. “I was injured during that competition, felt like I wasn’t at my best. I feel like I’m the better fighter. It’s bittersweet, but I learned a lot about the importance of rest and taking care of my body during that time, so I’m grateful for that.”
“We are getting Gold at the Olympics,” she added after a brief pause.
As if on cue, “Girl on Fire” by Alicia Keys began to play over the cafe speakers.
Preparation is key
McCane understands the magnitude of this moment. She is grateful to have the opportunity to represent the United States as an Olympian, a role she takes very seriously.
“I train in Colorado Springs, where we do above-sea-level training with the altitude,” McCane said. “My days start at 6:30 a.m. I train six days a week, three times a day. I’ll be going to Thailand soon to finish preparing for the Olympics.”
“It was difficult for me at the start of this journey. I’m a foodie, so sometimes it can be hard to stay the course. I’ve put in the work, so I know that the cards are going to align one day.”
As far as the Olympic experience, McCane looks forward to representing Cleveland on an international level.
“I just hope I don’t fan out when I get there,” she said. “I’m gonna look over and see people I’ve watched on TV like Simone Biles. To see all these young Black females doing well in different sports is very inspiring to me. I like to say I’m representing the United States, but really I’m representing Cleveland.”
McCane hopes that her family is able to join her in Paris. And that they all can find time to cross something off of their bucket list. Like Disney.
“We’ve never been to Disneyland. Being able to do it in Paris would be so lit. Fingers crossed!”
To help offset the cost of the travel and airfare for her family and Cleveland coaches to join her in Paris, McCane set up a GoFundMe Page.