Henry Cejudo is home in Colorado Springs and ready to get back on the mat
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by Rebecca I
Henry Cejudo returned to Colorado Springs this week and said he feels at home.
"This is my home," said Cejudo. "I became a man here."
Cejudo, the 2008 Olympic Champion Freestyle Wrestler, is in the Springs to open the 2009 State Games of America on Thursday, July 30th at the Colorado Springs World Arena. During the opening ceremonies of this important multi-sport event, Cejudo will be lighting the Games' official Flame to conclude the evening.
"I'm super stoked about Thursday. This is my dream," said Cejudo. "Next, I want to run with the torch."
Cejudo moved to Colorado Springs as a high school junior to train full-time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. After graduating from Coronado High School, he focused the next two years on his Olympic quest. His four years of full-time training at the USOTC resulted in his inspiring victory at the Beijing Games.
Since capturing his Olympic Gold in Beijing, China last August, Henry Cejudo has been taking time off from competing in order to travel the world.
"In three weeks I have been to two countries, Mexico and Costa Rica, and I also went to New York for the Kids Choice Awards," said Cejudo. "I really enjoyed working with the unfortunate kids in Manhattan, N.Y. There were about 60 kids who really enjoyed the sport of wrestling, and they were a great bunch of kids that I could relate to."
"Also, three months ago I went to Iran, and it's nothing like what you see on TV with people torching flags," said Cejudo. "You know, wrestling is a National Sport in Iran, and I think it went really good. I even had one guy come up to me crying and said 'Peace be with you' in Persian."
Cejudo has been off the mat dealing with the unique pressures and opportunities that comes from being a sports celebrity.
"I thought I would be off for about three months, but there is a lot more to it," said Cejudo. "I am really enjoying myself because I have met a lot of great and interesting people, even some of my idols."
"I still wake up every morning just smiling for no reason," said Henry. "Being in the position I'm in is seriously the greatest feeling in the world, and I wouldn't change anything."
Henry never expected to be away from competing this long. He feels that coaching and doing the clinics he has done allowed him to realize things he has to work on, and in the long run will help him grow into a better wrestler.
"Wrestling is a tough sport. It's a grind, and I needed a break," said Cejudo. "But I'm ready to be back on the mat. I need to be 110%, and I hate to be second."
Gaining a few pounds since the Olympics in Beijing, Henry believes he will go up from his 55kg weight class and is looking forward to wrestling at a higher weight division. He said the higher the weight class, the stronger you can be.
Henry Cejudo said he is planning on being back on the mat this August. He is unsure about his training plans, but he is leaving the option open to train in a different location perhaps in the East. He plans to begin serious preparation for the 2012 Olympics.
Henry Cejudo's Book "American Victory" will be released January 5th, 2010. It will tell his personal story of the amazing journey that took him from a challenging childhood to the top of the Olympic podium.
With the release of a new book and his return to the mat, Cejudo's advice to athletes is to "fight, keep fighting and don't give up."
We have not heard the last of Henry Cejudo.
"This is my home," said Cejudo. "I became a man here."
Cejudo, the 2008 Olympic Champion Freestyle Wrestler, is in the Springs to open the 2009 State Games of America on Thursday, July 30th at the Colorado Springs World Arena. During the opening ceremonies of this important multi-sport event, Cejudo will be lighting the Games' official Flame to conclude the evening.
"I'm super stoked about Thursday. This is my dream," said Cejudo. "Next, I want to run with the torch."
Cejudo moved to Colorado Springs as a high school junior to train full-time at the U.S. Olympic Training Center. After graduating from Coronado High School, he focused the next two years on his Olympic quest. His four years of full-time training at the USOTC resulted in his inspiring victory at the Beijing Games.
Since capturing his Olympic Gold in Beijing, China last August, Henry Cejudo has been taking time off from competing in order to travel the world.
"In three weeks I have been to two countries, Mexico and Costa Rica, and I also went to New York for the Kids Choice Awards," said Cejudo. "I really enjoyed working with the unfortunate kids in Manhattan, N.Y. There were about 60 kids who really enjoyed the sport of wrestling, and they were a great bunch of kids that I could relate to."
"Also, three months ago I went to Iran, and it's nothing like what you see on TV with people torching flags," said Cejudo. "You know, wrestling is a National Sport in Iran, and I think it went really good. I even had one guy come up to me crying and said 'Peace be with you' in Persian."
Cejudo has been off the mat dealing with the unique pressures and opportunities that comes from being a sports celebrity.
"I thought I would be off for about three months, but there is a lot more to it," said Cejudo. "I am really enjoying myself because I have met a lot of great and interesting people, even some of my idols."
"I still wake up every morning just smiling for no reason," said Henry. "Being in the position I'm in is seriously the greatest feeling in the world, and I wouldn't change anything."
Henry never expected to be away from competing this long. He feels that coaching and doing the clinics he has done allowed him to realize things he has to work on, and in the long run will help him grow into a better wrestler.
"Wrestling is a tough sport. It's a grind, and I needed a break," said Cejudo. "But I'm ready to be back on the mat. I need to be 110%, and I hate to be second."
Gaining a few pounds since the Olympics in Beijing, Henry believes he will go up from his 55kg weight class and is looking forward to wrestling at a higher weight division. He said the higher the weight class, the stronger you can be.
Henry Cejudo said he is planning on being back on the mat this August. He is unsure about his training plans, but he is leaving the option open to train in a different location perhaps in the East. He plans to begin serious preparation for the 2012 Olympics.
Henry Cejudo's Book "American Victory" will be released January 5th, 2010. It will tell his personal story of the amazing journey that took him from a challenging childhood to the top of the Olympic podium.
With the release of a new book and his return to the mat, Cejudo's advice to athletes is to "fight, keep fighting and don't give up."
We have not heard the last of Henry Cejudo.
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