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Not many athletes have been given a nickname as perfect like Cecilia 'The Pioneer' the boxer.

She is the pioneering female ever to unify all four belts, the first to headline a pro event in Norway and a fighter whose impact helped scrap a three-decade prohibition on boxing - for both male and female athletes - in her homeland.

This weekend in the city of Lillestrom, this 44-year-old pioneer will enter the boxing ring one final time to face Slovenia's opponent Ema Kozin for both the WBC and WBO light-middleweight division championships.

Regardless of outcome, Braekhus will sign off from a career that has reshaped both women's boxing and sports in Norway.

"The final bell had to be in Norway," she states. "The nation and the people who took down the prohibition against pro boxing enabling me to come home - they've been the foundation of my entire career."

Born in Colombia and raised in Norway, Braekhus devoted her career to overcoming obstacles - from fighting sexism during training to silencing doubters along her path to becoming the unchallenged champion of the sport.

She retires with a trio of Guinness World Records: the longest-reigning women's champion (11 years and 154 days), the lengthiest period as a unified titleholder (five years and 337 days) and the lengthiest undefeated run for a women's boxer (36 bouts).

Yet, her proudest feat cannot be measured in numbers or belts.

Born in Colombia, Norwegian Raised

Braekhus was adopted from an orphanage in Cartagena when she was two and was raised in Sandviken, a district of Bergen.

As a teenager, she took up kickboxing, despite her parents' objections, prior to transitioning to the sweet science at 21.

She lost only five out of 80 amateur fights before deciding to turn professional - yet that goal was hindered due to the reality that professional boxing in Norway had been outlawed for decades, punishable by up to three months in prison.

Unyielding, she relocated to Germany in her twenties to build her career overseas. She stood as the sole female in the gym.

"Within our promotion there were dozens of fighters, all male and just one female. I needed to be each and every day better than every male boxer," she remembers. "At that time there was a belief that females couldn't fight or sell boxing without having to undress to look very sexy. A lot of women were definitely pressured into that."

Although she made her name in Germany, the dream of fighting in Norway always stayed with her.

Repeatedly, she trained, then traveled back each Friday to consult with lawmakers and reporters before heading back into camp.

"It required immense effort," she says. "I was defending world championship belts to defend too. But that's where the discipline comes in - I was just highly concentrated."

The general view in Norway opposed her initially. "In the beginning there was strong condemnation of boxing," she explains. "Numerous misconceptions - that it was senseless brutality, that it would corrupt young people. My job was to share the facts."

The Fight That Changed Norwegian Boxing

The turning point came in September 2014, when Cecilia fought Ivana Habazin in Copenhagen for the opportunity to become the first undisputed women's world champion.

Every fight brings stress, yet this bout was unique. For her, the destiny of Norwegian boxing hung in the balance.

"That victory was certainly a major part of the puzzle," she says. "If I didn't have those titles, that dream of fighting in Norway would vanish. Sadly, that's the reality."

The people began to see the discipline, the mindset, the hard work.

"Norway admires champions," she states, "and after I achieved unified status, they recognized the individual beyond the boxing gloves."

A quarter year later, parliament decided 54 to 48 to repeal the ban.

She was there. "I was in the basement," she recalls. "It was close, extremely close until the final count. Then we received the outcome. We ascended and had some cake. That was pretty incredible."

In 2016, she headlined on home soil. The venue was sold out. The nation's leader was among the spectators.

During her 19th straight title bout, Braekhus stopped her opponent in two rounds to stay undisputed and improve to 29-0.

It represented the return of all homecomings.

Retirement is 'Like a Break-up'

While pioneers like Jane Couch, the first licensed female boxer in the United Kingdom, fought to make female boxing visible, Braekhus took a distinct route - she reintroduced the sport back to a whole country.

Now she knows the moment has come to retire. She has no regrets and is excited to see the growth of female boxing, as fellow fighters such as Amanda Serrano and Katie Taylor receive substantial pay days.

"I am super proud of my story so I wouldn't wish anything different," Braekhus says. "We received anything back [when I started], it was just the love of boxing. The level was so high and I am so proud when I look back. Incredible. Everyone had jobs, none were wealthy."

"I've experienced both eras," she adds. "I've been there when the road was paved and I've been here now when it's pretty much paved for future fighters."

Already bound for boxing's Hall of Fame, she desires one final statement this weekend: to bow out as a dual-weight world champion.

"There are two belts at stake. Ema Kozin will battle to the end. This has to set the benchmark for all I've been through," she says.

And after that? "I'm kind of done," she admits. "I wish to explore the world outside of the boxing ring too while I'm still young and healthy."

But the transition won't be simple.

"Initially, I'll take a break," she remarks. "It's like a break-up - {you just need|you require