Some time ago a cute 12 year old boy was brought to my offices to be fitted with a mouthguard. His Dad wants to train him to be a boxer. I vividly remember him staring at the photos on my ?Wall of Fame? headlined by the great Manny Pacquiao. ?I will be like him,? he said pointing at Pacquiao?s photo.
The kid was religiously brought to our office every year for a new mouthguard owing to the fact that he was growing. I saw some of his fights and the progressive improvements as run over his opponents. I thought then, as I do now that this kid is going places.
Then in the last two years we did not see him anymore. I thought he quit the sport.
Today, out of the blue, the kid showed up asking for a new mouthguard. But he is no longer the little kid I once know. He is now a full grown 19 year old and sporting a USA Olympic team shirt.
Yes, Carlos Balderas of Sta. Maria, California made the USA Boxing Team for the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics. He is one of the three that qualified so far. He will be fighting as a lightweight.
Carlos, or Karlos as he now writes his name, wanted a white mouthguard with an Olympic logo. Within three hours, he had his wish. The mouthguard will be one of the few we will be supplying him for free to use as he trains for the Olympics. For the actual Olympics event we will supply him with a one of a kind design that is fitted for his quest for the gold.
Good luck Carlos! Make us proud and bring home the gold!
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