World Champion boxer encourages MHS students

Wendy Alexander/The Madera Tribune

World Champion boxer Jose Ramirez speaks to a group of Madera High School students in Joe Flores Gym on Thursday.

---

U.S. Olympian, Junior Olympic Gold Medalist and boxing champion Jose Ramirez visited Madera High School to encourage and motivate students.

Ramirez talked about his humble beginnings with migrant parents. He even worked in the fields for a summer picking bell peppers just so he could afford a cell phone.

He wants to be a motivation for athletes that are in similar situations to go for their dreams.

He began his boxing career at the newly-built Avenal Community Center when he was eight and began training for as long as he could.

He eventually made his way to the Junior Olympics and won a gold medal at 15.

Inspired by a cross country coach, Ramirez made it his goal to get to the Olympics.

In 2012, Ramirez walked along the likes of Michael Phelps, Kobe Bryant and LeBron James in Rio De Janeiro, representing the United States. He fell just one match shy of boxing for a medal.

Now that Ramirez turned pro, he won the WBC light-welterweight belt from 2018-2021 and the WBO title from 2019-2021.

He wants to inspire athletes to live out their dreams and go for it.

He also took questions from the students, which ranged from what he does before a match, how it felt to be an Olympian to when his next bout will be.

Ramirez said he plans to fight early 2022 and then have another fight in the summer.