Henry Cejudo's remarkable story to be revealed in his new book 'American Victory'
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by Craig Sesker
Many of you know about the remarkable story of Henry Cejudo.
At age 21, he became the youngest U.S. wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal when he captured an Olympic freestyle title in 2008 in Beijing, China.
But there is much more to the compelling story of Cejudo.
National award-winning Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke, who was there the night Cejudo struck gold in China, has captured Cejudo's amazing story in a powerful memoir.
It is portrayed in their new book - "American Victory: Wrestling, Dreams and a Journey Toward Home" - which will be available in stores on Jan. 5, 2010.
The son of undocumented immigrants from Mexico, the American-born Cejudo dealt with more than his share of hardships after coming to the U.S. They lived in Los Angeles, New Mexico and Phoenix.
"To me, it's the best book I've ever read," Cejudo said. "To think back to where we came from to where I'm at now, wow, I have come a long way. It's an inspirational book. Everybody can relate to it. It's about a kid who is the son of immigrants who risked their life to come to this great country. My parents came from a Third World country and we lived in poverty at times. To represent the U.S. in the Olympics, and win a gold medal, is truly an American victory."
Cejudo made a bold move before his junior year in high school, moving to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. He won the U.S. Senior Nationals as a high-school senior.
He won the Pan American Games in 2007 and made his first U.S. World Team.
Cejudo struggled at the 2007 World Championships, placing 31st after dropping his first match. Sports Illustrated picked Cejudo to win a bronze medal in Beijing, but he was still considered a long shot to win Olympic gold in 2008.
But Cejudo won four straight matches at the Olympics. He started his run by knocking off World champion Radoslav Velikov of Bulgaria in the first round. He capped his impressive run by beating Tomohiro Matsunaga of Japan in two straight periods in the gold-medal match.
You can order your copy of "American Victory" by visiting Amazon.com.
At age 21, he became the youngest U.S. wrestler to win an Olympic gold medal when he captured an Olympic freestyle title in 2008 in Beijing, China.
But there is much more to the compelling story of Cejudo.
National award-winning Los Angeles Times columnist Bill Plaschke, who was there the night Cejudo struck gold in China, has captured Cejudo's amazing story in a powerful memoir.
It is portrayed in their new book - "American Victory: Wrestling, Dreams and a Journey Toward Home" - which will be available in stores on Jan. 5, 2010.
The son of undocumented immigrants from Mexico, the American-born Cejudo dealt with more than his share of hardships after coming to the U.S. They lived in Los Angeles, New Mexico and Phoenix.
"To me, it's the best book I've ever read," Cejudo said. "To think back to where we came from to where I'm at now, wow, I have come a long way. It's an inspirational book. Everybody can relate to it. It's about a kid who is the son of immigrants who risked their life to come to this great country. My parents came from a Third World country and we lived in poverty at times. To represent the U.S. in the Olympics, and win a gold medal, is truly an American victory."
Cejudo made a bold move before his junior year in high school, moving to the U.S. Olympic Training Center in Colorado Springs, Colo. He won the U.S. Senior Nationals as a high-school senior.
He won the Pan American Games in 2007 and made his first U.S. World Team.
Cejudo struggled at the 2007 World Championships, placing 31st after dropping his first match. Sports Illustrated picked Cejudo to win a bronze medal in Beijing, but he was still considered a long shot to win Olympic gold in 2008.
But Cejudo won four straight matches at the Olympics. He started his run by knocking off World champion Radoslav Velikov of Bulgaria in the first round. He capped his impressive run by beating Tomohiro Matsunaga of Japan in two straight periods in the gold-medal match.
You can order your copy of "American Victory" by visiting Amazon.com.
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