Hanna Gabriels

About Hanna

Hanna Gabriels is Costa Rica's most lauded boxer, and has been supporting UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency since 2019. Since 2009, Gabriels has been World Champion in the super welterweight category for the World Boxing Association. She was also World Champion for the World Boxing Organization. In 2010, Costa Rica's National Sports Games were dedicated to Hanna for her achievements in sports.

Hanna has strongly supported social causes related to the promotion of health, women's empowerment, prevention of gender-based violence, and the response to the situation of refugees and asylum-seekers in Costa Rica.

On 17 July in 2019, Hanna dedicated her world championship defense fight to refugees in Costa Rica. She won the fight and sent a message for the inclusion and non-discrimination of refugees. In October 2019, Hanna visited host communities along the northern border of Costa Rica to better understand the needs of Nicaraguan refugees and asylum-seekers. During her visit, Hanna opened a sports festival in the border community of Los Chiles with a message against xenophobia.

In the days leading up to the 2019 Global Refugee Forum, Hanna made a public call for shared responsibility in the humanitarian response to the refugee situation, and met with the President of Costa Rica to discuss the opportunities of this historic event.

“Every fight is hard, but the hardest fight has not been in the ring but rather out there on the streets, against indifference. Many people have been forced to leave their countries to save their lives and have found safety in our country. But they have also been hit by discrimination. Today, I want Costa Rica to join me in the fight against xenophobia and stand with refugees.” - Hanna Gabriels