BRYAN, Texas (KRHD) — A candlelight vigil was held at Bryan Boxing to honor Hannah Rapp, a boxer whose death has brought her community together in grief and remembrance.
Samuel Gutierrez, a teammate of Rapp's, described the moment her absence became real.
"Monday when we came in at 4, that's when our class starts, and we were all waiting for Hannah to walk through that door with a smile. And when she didn't walk in, it was just the whole environment was just like kind of empty without her. It was a missing piece."
Her brother, Tanner Rapp, said the outpouring of support reflects exactly who his sister was.
"She was a pretty special person, and anyone she met or came into contact with, she just tried to be the best person she could to them."
Tanner said his sister's story is far from over.
"Her fight and her story is not over yet, so you know, as much as anybody can share her story, we'll greatly appreciate it."
Coach Carl Perry said Rapp had a presence that was impossible to ignore.
"She walked into the room — you hear people talk about when they walk in you can see their energy or you can feel their energy — well with her you could see that aura and you can feel that energy coming through the door before you even got there, and she always had just the biggest smile on her face. She loved being in the gym."
Perry said Rapp was excited about upcoming fight news and building the gym's legacy in the weeks before her death, and he believed she was on a path to greatness.
"She was destined to be a multi-world champion, and unfortunately we won't get to see that, but I am truly blessed that we did get to see a glimpse of how great she was going to be."
Gutierrez said Rapp's impact went beyond her own performance — she made everyone around her better.
"When she was in the gym and everybody was kind of slacking, she was like, 'Come on guys, pick up the pace,' and she was always the one — she was one of the best ones in here. And she will never come in here and not work, but people will see that, and it will motivate them to be better. She will always push everyone around them to do their best."
Gutierrez shared a personal memory from the last time he saw Rapp that he said captured who she truly was.
"I have a baby on the way. Hannah asked me, 'Do you have you found a name for your baby, or do you not like, would you not like to share it with no one?' And I was like, 'Yeah, we wouldn't like to share no one, but I don't mind sharing it with you,' you know, because that's the type of confidence we had here in the gym with each other. And I told her, and she was like, 'Man, that's awesome. I can't wait to meet this little dude. It's gonna be so fun.' And, uh, we said goodbye to each other that day. The next day, well, we went through the weekend and I didn't get to see her anymore."