An Olympic gold medalist has been inspiring students to get involved with the Olympic dream.
Liverpool Community College visited by Team USA Olympic gold medalist!
6 Oct 2011
With the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games less than one year away, Henry Cejudo, a member of Team USA took a short break from his training to meet students from Liverpool Community College.
The following news story was written by Jenny McNicholas, a student from the college.
Henry Cejudo, 24, became the youngest Olympic champion in the history of USA Wrestling at the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.
Cejudo visited Liverpool Community College as a reward to recognise that our college is embracing the Olympic and Paralympic Values. Cejudo was in Liverpool as a part of Team USA: Britain Bound, which brought seven U.S. Olympic and Paralympic champions to tour Britain prior to the 2012 Games.
The freestyle wrestler told students about his life and how he rose from being the son of a Mexican migrant living in a junk yard to standing on a podium with a gold medal in China. His story proved that against all odds you can succeed. “Day in, day out was hard work. I was ridiculed and told I couldn’t do it,” Cejudo told LCC’s students.
As a child Cejudo had a really tough life. His family risked their life to come to America to chase the U.S. dream. His mother lived in the slums of Mexico, which he compared to the film “Slumdog Millionaire,” and his father was absent throughout his childhood, leaving only his mother and siblings to look up to.
When Cejudo discussed his childhood you could hear the pain in his voice, but his passion came through when he talked about his youth: “As a kid we didn’t have the latest toys or gadgets, but the main thing we did have was love, and that’s what got me to where I am today.” His life has turned full cycle to where he is now: “I’m the kind of kid that grew up with no trainers, now I have my own branded trainers.”
Cejudo spoke of the 1996 Olympics which he watched in a junkyard trailer he called home: “It was complete poverty; I remember watching it on a black and white TV. The TV set was so old we had to use pliers to change channel. Seeing (U.S. track athlete) Michael Johnson changed my life – from that day I had a dream, a goal, something to aspire too. That’s how my dream began – through Michael Johnson.”
Like many young people today, Cejudo chose his path; however, he feels that he was fortunate to find his talent and his passion: “I’ve had friends who were shot dead or are in prison – that could have been me.”
Cejudo was the kid that that left home at 16 to chase a dream: “They could take my money, my dad, my home, but they could never take my dream.” He not only instilled the ‘Get Set’ network values, he also left the students with a very inspiring speech that ended with three important steps to his success: “Today I want to leave three things with you if nothing else: dream- don’t sell yourself short. Sacrifice- I sacrificed friends and family and even the occasional enchilada. And, finally, victory.”
About Team USA: Britain Bound: With the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games less than one year away, seven Team USA Olympic and Paralympic champions took a short break from their training and set off on memorable tours of Great Britain. While exploring the communities that will welcome the world next summer, the Team USA athletes experienced all that Britain has to offer – from the Olympic venues to the cultural and historical sites in England, Scotland and Wales.
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