Leschenault boxing champion Lekeisha Pergoliti brings home bronze after success at 2026 Commonwealth Games

Leschenault boxing champion Lekeisha Pergoliti has returned home after a successful campaign at the 2026 Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.

The South West star took home bronze amongst fierce competition, falling short in her semifinal to England’s Chantelle Reid in July.

Pergoliti’s first Commonwealth Games also marked the first time she had represented Australia, saying it meant a lot more carrying the weight of the country.

“It was such a really cool experience just being a part of Team Australia and this is something that I’ll carry with me for the rest of my life,” she said.

The 24-year-old entered the Games with plenty of confidence following an impressive year on the international stage, having claimed silver and bronze medals at the World Boxing Cups and establishing herself as one of Australia’s leading amateur boxers.

Fighting in the 70kg category, Pergoliti battled through a tough quarterfinal bout to reach the semifinals but was unable to progress into the gold medal match.

While the disappointment of losing was hard initially, Pergoliti said she has begun to appreciate her accomplishment and looks back on the games positively.

“To get that first win was really special and I also had my family there, which was even more special to have them come and watch me, and just to see how proud they were, was really cool,” she said

“You definitely need the mentality of I’m here to win and I’m here to get the gold.

“But once I had actually taken some time to kind of decompress and debrief, I’m definitely a lot more proud of my achievement than I probably was at the start because I was quite upset to obviously not progress to the final.

“One thing I try to remind myself is it’s never a loss; it’s always a lesson for the next one and what’s to come next.”

Pergoliti has been travelling the globe non-stop since 2023, with breaks needed at times during the year to not let grind of being in the ring 24/7 take its toll.

“They’re long weeks and you’re training two-to-three times a day six days a week so it’s a lot,” she said.

“We’re constantly reminded by coaches to just kind of take it one step at a time, which is really essential.

“You’ve just got to pick your breaks and I had a bit of time off after Commonwealth Game so it’s been nice to take a bit of a step back and just readjust for the rest of the year.”

The next stop on Pergoliti’s fight list is the World Boxing Cup finals in Uzbekistan during November and December, before looking at April 2027’s World Championships which double as the first qualifiers for the 2028 Los Angeles Olympics.

It can be hard not looking too far ahead at your dream of fighting in the Olympics, but Pergoliti said you have to, otherwise you can forget what the journey is all about.

“I think it’s so important to keep that end goal in mind,” she said.

“It’s one thing being motivated and it’s one thing being disciplined, the motivation is not always there but if you have the discipline and you keep in mind the end goal, I think that’s really important.

“When you’re in the midst of a really hard training camp and your body’s sore, your mind is sore and you feel like not everything’s going according to plan that’s why you can get lost.

“But I think it’s really important to just trust the process and trust the journey and always keep that goal in mind and just remember why you’re doing it.”

Knowing what your fighting for is a key pillar to develop into a successful boxer, with Pergoliti’s loving what kind of person the sport has let her become.

“I think my why sometimes changes, depending on what’s kind of going on but I truly do this for myself,” she said.

“I love who I am when I’m competing and when I’m training, it has definitely brought out the best versions of me.

“It’s given me purpose, which I think everyone as they go through life, you’re always trying to find your purpose and what you want to try and do in the world, and I’ve been so lucky that boxing has given me the opportunity to find that.”

Pergoliti said she was forever grateful for the love shown from the South West, often taking motivation from what fellow locals say to her.

“The support has been super overwhelming, but in the best way,” she said.

“Being from down south the support from everyone down here has just been unreal.

“People don’t realise how much that can mean to someone, especially post-Games and everything, you do get a bit of the blues, so it’s always nice when people are sending encouraging words and congratulations and it means a lot.”