Claressa Shields hits the red carpet for special Flint screening of biopic 'The Fire Inside'

FLINT, Michigan — Last Sunday, Nov. 10, Flint native and pro-boxer, Claressa Shields, attended the screening of 'The Fire Inside' at Cinemark Flint West 14​​​. The film is based on her life as she pushed through hardships and made her way to the 2012 Summer Olympics, becoming the first woman to win a gold medal in boxing at just 17 years old.

Presented by Amazon MGM Studios, 'The Fire Inside' was written and produced by Academy Award winner Barry Jenkins, and directed by Rachel Morrison who is known for her cinematography work in the movies 'Mudbound' (2017) and 'Black Panther' (2018).

Morrison was in attendance at the screening alongside actress Ryan Destiny who plays Shields in the film, and Jason Crutchfield, Shields' long-time coach, who is portrayed by Academy Award-nominated actor Brian Tyree Henry.

Although the film doesn't hit theaters until Christmas Day, Shields gave Flint residents a special screening, rolling out the red carpet for family members, close friends, and cast members. 

Khali Sweeney, founder and CEO of the Downtown Boxing Gym in Detroit, also walked the red carpet as he recalled earlier moments in Shields' boxing career.

“Claressa had a strong team of coaches and a strong connection to Flint,” said Sweeney. “Her whole team was good people, and my gym is one of the places they would stop by for sparring. Our kids would learn a lot from her. She always gave tips to the young people in their journey. She was young, but everything that she learned, she would just give it right back.”

Making her way down the red carpet to take photos and answer questions from the media, Shields was greeted with bouquets of flowers and supportive cheers from the crowd.

When asked how she wants viewers to feel after watching the film, Shields told Flintside, “I want people to feel inspired. I want the fire inside of them to start burning, like, ‘Oh my God, look at what she did!’ After my little niece watched it, she's only four, she was like, ‘I'm definitely boxing.’ Her fire inside started burning, and she liked to see all the hard work that got put in. It's like she understands that you have to put in work to get anything that you want.”

Leaving us with inspiring words of wisdom, Shields added, “We all have control over our own lives, and we can start controlling it at a very young age. At the age of 11, I decided I wanted to be something important. I wanted to be a great fighter. So what I do? I put all of my time into being a great fighter, growing with God, and honestly, I've been able to win two Olympic gold medals, and it all started here in Flint, Michigan.”
  'The Fire Inside' hits theaters on Christmas Day. Check out the trailer below.