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Henry Cejudo is a freestyle wrestler and author, best known
for being the youngest American to win Olympic Gold in wrestling, but
Cejudo’s road to the Olympics was anything but smooth.
He was born on February 9, 1987 in South Central L.A., and was the
youngest of six children. His parents were both undocumented immigrants
from Mexico: Henry’s father wasn’t really a part of Henry’s life because
he was constantly in trouble with the law. It was Cejudo’s mother on whom
the responsibility for raising the family fell. Stricken with financial
hardship, the family moved from state to state, while the mother worked
multiple jobs to provide for her children.
The family eventually settled in Phoenix, Arizona where Henry attended
Maryvale High School. It appears that he’s found the support and
motivation he needed there. Henry was successful in school and it was then
that his brother Angel Cejudo introduced him to wrestling. Henry took to
wrestling like a fish to water. Dave Bennet, the national developmental
freestyle coach for USA Wrestling, was impressed by Henry and Angel Cejudo,
so he invited them to train at the resident freestyle program at the
Olympic Training Center in Colorado. The brothers accepted and went to
Colorado Springs where they continued to wrestle and learn in Coronado
High School while hoping to become Olympians. Henry had many
accomplishments in high school wrestling: he’s been a 4-time State
Champion (twice in Arizona and twice in Colorado); he was the first high
school wrestler to win the U.S. Nationals since 1983 when USA Wrestling
became the sport’s official governing body; he’s won the ASICS National
High School Wrestler of the Year Award in 2006, and much more.
After graduation and with an illustrious wrestling career in high school
behind him, he took an unusual path to the Olympics; he bypassed
collegiate wrestling and instead competed in - and won - the U.S. World
Team Trials. Cejudo started training full-time at the Olympic Training
Center in preparation for the 2008 Olympic Games. He went on to win
Olympic Gold in wrestling in Beijing becoming the youngest American
wrestler ever to win a gold medal at the Olympics. Following his success,
Henry became a celebrity: he appeared on the Oprah Winfrey Show, Access
Hollywood, The Tonight Show, and on other national programs. He went on to
write a book called “American Victory: Wrestling, Dreams and a Journey
Toward Home” in which he talks about his life and how he overcame many an
obstacle to become an Olympic Champion.
 
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08/19/2008
Henry Cejudo USA Olympic medalist in Free style in the Class until
55 kg
Photo courtesy of Xinhua/Imago; editorial use. |
The humility with which Henry Cejudo’s embraces his past
makes him what he is today; he gives to the Latino community and
underprivileged children. He works with many outreach programs and several
non-profit organizations such as: Beat the Streets Wrestling, The Special
Olympics, Phoenix Children’s Hospital, and Boy Scouts of America. Henry
motivates kids by sharing his life story and teaching them the value of
determination.
Since both of his parents where illegal immigrants, Cejudo feels strongly
about the new immigration laws in Arizona. Nelly Cejudo - Henry’s mother -
couldn’t watch her son’s winning match at the Beijing Olympics in person
because she lacked proper travel documentation. She watched Henry’s win on
the Internet, instead. Not long after the Olympics - in January 2010 - she
was deported back to Mexico.
The Arizona’s law, passed last year, “requires police to check the
immigration status of anyone they stop, detain or arrest that they suspect
is in the country illegally... Another proposed law would deny citizenship
to children born in the USA if neither parent has legal status.” Henry
Cejudo has publicly spoken against this law and is hoping that it will
eventually be abolished.
In the meantime, Nelly Cejudo became a US citizen. Henry's very proud of
her and is excited by the prospect that his mom will be able to cheer him
on in person while he competes in the 2012 London Olympics.
In my opinion, Henry Cejudo is one of the greatest American wrestlers of
all-time, and I believe that if he wrestles at the 2012 London Olympics he
will be a champion, again. More importantly, he is an inspiration not only
to athletes but to all people around the world. His achievements prove
that hard work, the drive to succeed, faith, and a “never say never”
attitude can overcome anything.
Expert article contributed
by Leo Kesh, amateur freestyle wrestler
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