Tyrieshia and Antoine Douglas hope to make 2012 Olympics a shared redemption tale

Tyrieshia and Antoine Douglas are only brother-sister combo to qualify for Olympic boxing trials.

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Antoine Douglas, 18, works out at the Alexandria Boxing Club.

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Tyrieshia Douglas, center, jokes around with her brother Antoine Douglas, left, and cousin Petrick Washington, right, after Antoine's training session.

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After he was told his three cousins were going to be separated, Petrick Washington adopted Antoine Douglas, his sister Tyrieshia Douglas and another sibling. Looking for a way to channel the boys' energy he got them involved in boxing. Now, both siblings are hoping to qualify for the Olympic boxing team later this year.

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Antoine Douglas gets ready to enter the ring while working out at Alexandria Boxing Club.

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Antoine Douglas laces up his star-spangled boots.

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“It disciplined me,” Antoine Douglas said. “It humbled me. Boxing teaches lessons. It’s a respectful sport. It has a personality of its own. Some things it teaches you can’t even explain.”

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“Boxing changed my life,”said Tyrieshia Douglas, seen here wiping away tears as she describes her and her brother’s rough childhood.

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Petrick Washington, left, talks with Antoine Douglas, right, during Antoine’s training session.

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“I couldn’t even do a sit-up when I first started,” Antoine Douglas said

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An elbow injury kept Antoine Douglas out of boxing for much of 2009-10. When he returned, he won a silver medal in the 2010 National PAL Championships in the 165-pound class, then claimed the bronze medal at the USA Boxing National Championships in late June.

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“It felt natural,” Tyrieshia Douglas said her introduction to boxing. “I didn’t know I was supposed to move, but I knew how to fight.”

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Tyrieshia Douglas works on her endurance during a training session.

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Tyrieshia Douglas works on her footwork while working out at the Upton Boxing Center in Baltimore.

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Tyrieshia Douglas, right, talks with her coach, Calvin Ford, left, before starting her workout.

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Tyrieshia Douglas doesn't pull any punches while training.

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Antoine Douglas, the 2009 Junior Olympic champion, gets ready to enter the ring.

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Antoine Douglas throws a punch at his sparring partner.

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“They were always together, big sister, little brother,” said Kay Koroma, Antoine Douglas's uncle and trainer. “Everything they did, they did together.”

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Antoine Douglas, right, spars with Alantez Fox of Forestville, Md.

Toni L. Sandys / WASHINGTON POST

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