Megan Rapinoe is an American professional soccer player and activist. She is the current captain of the OL Reign professional team and co-captain of the United States national team, which she’s played on since 2005. She’s competed in the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup (second place), 2012 London Summer Olympics (gold), the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup (gold), the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup (gold) and the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics (bronze). Rapinoe is well-known for her staunch social and political views. The athlete is included in Time Magazine‘s 100 Most Influential People of 2020.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: AGE, EARLY LIFE, FAMILY, EDUCATION

Megan Rapinoe was born on July 5, 1985 (age: 36), in Redding, California. Her parents, Jim and Denise, raised five children in total. Rapinoe has an older sister, two older brothers, and a fraternal twin sister Rachael Rapinoe.

Growing up, Rapinoe idolized her older brother Brian. At age 15, however, Brian was sent to juvenile detention and spent the following years in and out of prison. Recently, Brian has made a concerted effort to get off drugs and turn his life around.

Rapinoe attended Foothill High School, where she competed on the track and basketball teams. She played soccer for Elk Grove Pride Club Team in the Women’s Premier Soccer League from 2002-2005. Rapinoe was named to the National Soccer Coaches Association of America (NSCAA) All-American team as a junior and a senior. In 2002, she was a member of the U-16 Women’s National Team. In 2004, she was named to the McDonald’s All-American Girls High School Soccer West Team. Rapinoe also played for the Olympic Development Program (ODP) throughout high school. The athlete played on the U-19 Women’s National Team from 2003 to 2004, competing in the 2004 FIFA U-19 Women’s World Championships in Thailand, where the United States finished third.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: COLLEGE CAREER

In 2005, both Rapinoe and her sister Rachael attended the University of Portland, Oregon on full soccer scholarships. Her freshman year, she led the Pilots to an undefeated season and the NCAA Division I Championship. She received several accolades that season, including NSCAA First Team All-American, Soccer America First Team Freshman All-America, and West Coast Conference Freshman of the Year among others.

Rapinoe began training with the U.S. national team in 2006. She played in her first game on July 23, 2006, in a friendly match against Ireland. She scored her first two goals in October in a friendly match against Taiwan.

In her sophomore year in 2006, Rapinoe was among the nation’s leading scorers when she suffered her first ACL injury during a match against Washington State University.

In her junior year (2007), Rapinoe suffered a second ACL injury during the second game of the season. Once again, she was forced to sit out the rest of the season.

Rapinoe returned for her senior season in 2008, scoring five goals and contributing 13 assists. Despite a year of eligibility remaining due to her many injuries, she entered the 2009 Women’s Professional Draft. She was selected second overall by the Chicago Red Stars for the inaugural season of Women’s Professional Soccer (WPS).

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: PROFESSIONAL CAREER

In her first year playing for the Red Stars, she started 17 out of 18 games, scored three goals, and had three assists. She was named to the league’s All-Star Team and played in the All-Star match against Swedish Damallsvenskan champions Umeå IK. Also in 2009, Rapinoe made her return to the women’s national team and started six out of seven games.

In December of 2010, Rapinoe signed with Philadelphia Independence.

While she was in Germany, she was traded to MagicJack, where she made eight appearances during the regular season and helped them advance to the final, where they lost to the Philadelphia Independence. MagicJack dissolved in 2011, leaving Rapinoe a free agent.

Also in 2011, Rapinoe was named to the roster of the United States national team for the 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup. Rapinoe scored in the team’s second group stage match against Columbia when she famously celebrated by grabbing an on-field microphone and singing Bruce Springsteen‘s “Born in the U.S.A.” In the quarterfinal match against Brazil, Rapinoe assisted Abby Wambach for the latest goal ever scored in a World Cup match. Rapinoe later helped the team in the penalty shootout, resulting in a victory for the United States. The athlete helped the United States in the championship game against Japan by assisting Alex Morgan for the first goal of the match, although they were ultimately defeated.

Rapinoe returned to the world stage for the 2012 Summer Olympic Games, held in London. She scored three goals during the course of the tournament and contributed four assists. Two of the goals occurred during the semi-final match against Canada. One of the goals was scored directly from her corner kick, making Rapinoe the first and only player (male or female) to score an Olimpico in the Olympic Games. She later scored a second Olimpico in the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The United States defeated Japan in the championship round to secure the gold.

After brief stints with the Australian W-League team Sydney FC and the Seattle Sounders, Rapinoe signed for six months with the French team Olympique Lyonnais in January of 2013.  The team ultimately made it to the finals of the UEFA Women’s Championships League, losing to VfL Wolfsburg.

In January 2014, Rapinoe left Lyon and joined Seattle Reign FC, where she played alongside her national teammate Hope Solo. Rapinoe became the team’s top scorer and turned around their overall league record. She helped the team advance to the finals of the National Women’s Soccer League, where they played FC Kansas City. Rapinoe scored the only goal of the game for the Seattle Reign, and they ultimately lost 2-1. Rapinoe continues to play on Seattle Reign FC in the present day.

In 2015, Rapinoe participated in her second FIFA Women’s World Cup, this time in Canada. Rapinoe scored twice in the team’s first group stage match against Australia. The United States ultimately won the tournament after defeating Japan in a rematch game for the 2012 FIFA Women’s World Cup finals.

Rapinoe re-joined the United States roster for the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup. She contributed one goal in the infamous 13-0 win over Thailand during the group stage of the tournament. During the knockout stage, Rapinoe scored the United States’ two goals in their victorious match against Spain. Rapinoe scored another two goals in the quarterfinal match against France, earning them a spot in the semifinals. While forced to sit out the semifinals due to injury, Rapinoe returned in full force for the final match, scoring one of the United States’ two goals of the game and ensuring their second consecutive World Cup win. Rapinoe was awarded the Golden Boot for having scored the most goals in the tournament as well as the Golden Ball award for best player.

In the 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics, Rapinoe scored twice in the 4-3 win against Australia in the bronze-medal match.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: INTERVIEW ON TOKYO 2020 OLYMPICS

In April of 2021, Rapinoe and her teammates Becky Sauerbrunn and Crystal Dunn spoke during a media availability about the upcoming Tokyo Olympics and how COVID-19 had affected their preparation. The United States women’s national team had won the FIFA Women’s World Cup in 2019, setting the stakes high for the Olympics.

While for many athletes the delay of the Olympic Games due to COVID was difficult, Rapinoe had a different opinion.

“For us, this was a nice little silver lining, obviously, of COVID and the pandemic, just to have a year to rest,” she said. “Some players played a lot, went overseas, some players like myself took more time for themselves, time that we never really get to get our bodies right and just to have that break.”

Reflecting on the benefits of the delay of the games, Rapinoe revealed that, “I think of all the teams, we probably have the most benefit just because we would have been so tired, particularly after all the wildness of [the 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup].”

Watch the full interview below.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: PERSONAL LIFE AND ACTIVISM

Rapinoe dated Australian soccer player Sarah Walsh for four years, beginning in 2009 and ending in 2013. She announced her engagement to Sub Pop recording artist Sera Cahoone in 2015. In January 2017, Rapinoe revealed that the wedding plans were on hold. In July 2017, Rapinoe and WNBA player Sue Bird of the Seattle Storm confirmed their relationship. The couple announced their engagement in October of 2020.

In September 2016, Rapinoe made headlines by kneeling during the national anthem in what she described as a nod to Colin Kaepernick‘s protests. Rapinoe stated that, as a member of the LGBTQ community, she has experienced firsthand what it means to have the American flag not protect all of one’s liberties.

In 2016, Rapinoe and four other women from the United States women’s national soccer team filed a Charge of Discrimination with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission accusing the United States Soccer Federation of wage discrimination. A judge ultimately ruled against the female players. Rapinoe was one of the 27 US women’s soccer team players in 2019 to file a lawsuit against the United States Soccer Federation accusing it of gender discrimination – specifically, unequal pay. A judge dismissed the claims of unequal wages but trial remains ongoing on the claims of discriminatory work conditions.

Rapinoe has been involved with various LGBTQ rights organizations, namely the Gay, Lesbian & Straight Education Network (GLSE) and Athlete Ally.

in 2017, Rapinoe and teammate Morgan were the first two women players to sign up for Juan Matta‘s Common Goal campaign, in which players donate one percent of their individual wages to soccer-related charities.

Rapinoe publically endorsed Democratic candidate Elizabeth Warren in the 2020 Democratic Party presidential primaries. She also hosted a panel during the 2020 Democratic National Convention alongside frontline workers of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In November 2020 Rapinoe published her autobiography One Life.

MEGAN RAPINOE BIOGRAPHY: INTERVIEW ON SOCIAL JUSTICE

In April 2021, Rapinoe spoke extensively at Olympic Media Summit about her opinions on recent events in the sports world as well as the responsibilities of athletes when it comes to social justice. Speaking about the MLB’s decision to move the 2021 All-Star Game out of Atlanta in response to Georgia’s restrictive new voting laws, Rapinoe emphasized the power of athletics to influence the political landscape.

“Athletes are in a very unique position in this country that is obsessed with sports… that looks to us for a lot of role-modelings, not just for kids but for adults, as well as sort of puts athletes on this pedestal all the time,” Rapinoe explained.

“So many athletes have sort of taken that responsibility on themselves, knowing the influence that we can have,” she went on. “I think [it is] really inspiring, and I think it’s made a huge difference in the country, to be honest. It changes hearts and minds.”

Rapinoe, who herself is a member of the LGBTQ community and a longtime advocate for LGBTQ rights and awareness, mentioned how intersectionality among athletes is one of the reasons they have a special power in the public sphere.

“Athletes are from every cross-section of life, at every single intersectionality. I think we have a unique power in our voice, and a unique perspective, knowing that we can represent just about anyone in the country.”

Catch the full interview below.

FACT SHEET

Full Name

Megan Anna Rapinoe

Date of Birth

July 5, 1985

Birthplace

Redding, California

Height

5’6″

Education

Foothill High School; University of Portland

Relationship Status

Engaged to Sue Bird

Family

Jim Rapinoe (father), Denise Rapinoe (mother), Rachael Rapinoe (twin sister), Brian Rapinoe (brother)

Twitter Handle

@mPinoe

Notable Accolades

Runners Up in 2011 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Gold Medal in 2012 London Summer Olympics

Champions in 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Champions in 2019 FIFA Women’s World Cup

Bronze Medal in 2020 Tokyo Summer Olympics

Allyson Felix is an American track and field sprinter. She specializes in the 200-meter and 400-meter sprint, both of which she’s won several Olympic medals in. Felix is the most decorated athlete in World Athletics Championships history, with 18 career medals. She has won 11 Olympic medals, seven of them gold, making her the most decorated female track and field Olympian and most decorated American track and field Olympian in history.

ALLYSON FELIX BIOGRAPHY: EARLY LIFE, FAMILY, EDUCATION

Allyson Felix was born on November 18, 1985 (Allyson Felix age: 35), in Los Angeles, California. Her father, Paul Felix, is an ordained minister and professor of New Testament at The Master’s Seminary in Sun Valley, California. Her mother, Marlean Felix, is an elementary school teacher at Balboa Magnet Elementary. Her older brother, Wes Felix, is a former competitive sprinter and now acts as Felix’s agent.

Felix attended Los Angeles Baptist High School in North Hills, California, where she began competing in track and field. In 2001, she achieved her first international title competing in the 100-meter at the Debrecan World Youth Championships. In 2003, she was named “High School Athlete of the Year” by Track and Field News. Her senior year, Felix finished second in the 200-meter at the US Indoor Track and Field Championships.

After high school, Felix attended the University of Southern California, where she pursued a degree in elementary education. Notably, Felix forwent her college eligibility by signing a professional contract with Adidas.

ALLYSON FELIX BIOGRAPHY: CAREER

Felix competed in her first Olympics at the age of 18, at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens. She won a silver medal in the 200-meter, finishing behind Veronica Campbell of Jamaica. Her time of 22.18 set a junior world record.

In the 2005 World Championships at Helsinki, Felix became the youngest gold medallist in the 200-meter sprint. Two years later, when the competition was held in Osaka, she beat Campbell to hold on to her title.

In 2008, Felix competed in the 200-meter at the Summer Olympics in Beijing. Felix won her first gold medal during those games with her participation in the 4 x 400-meter relay. She finished in second place in the 200-meter individual race, once again behind Campbell.

In the 2009 World Championships in Athletics, 23-year-old Felix won her third gold medal in the 200-meter, beating champion Campbell. In 2010, Felix became the first person to win two IAAF Diamond League trophies in one year, winning in both the 200-meter and the 400-meter. Felix competed in four events in the 2011 World Championships in Athletics: the 200-meter, the 400-meter, the 4 x 100-meter relay and the 4 x 400-meter relay. Team USA won gold in both relays, and Felix won silver in the 400 and bronze in the 200

In 2012, Felix competed in her third Olympics. She competed in four events: the 200-meter, 100-meter, 4 x 100-meter relay and 4 x 400-meter relay. She finished fifth in the 100-meter, and first in the 200-meter, beating long-time rival Campbell.

In the 2015 World Championships in Athletics, Felix chose to compete in the 400-meter race. She finished first, winning her first gold medal in the event. Team USA won silver in both the 4 x 100 and 4 x 400 relays.

At the 2016 Rio de Janeiro Olympics, Felix came away with two more gold medals (both in the relays) and a silver (400-meter). In 2017, Felix added three more medals to her World Championship tally, bringing her up to 16. She competed in two relays, winning gold in both, and won bronze for the 400-meter.

After a dispute in 2019 with her sponsor, Nike, over her treatment post-pregnancy, Felix parted ways with the corporation and signed a multi-year apparel deal with Gap and Athleta. Later that year, Felix competed in her eighth World Championships, winning two gold medals.

Felix competed in her fifth Olympics in 2021 in Tokyo. Felix won bronze in the 400-meter and gold in the 4 x 400 final. This medal established Felix as the most decorated American track and field athlete in Olympic history. She announced that this would be her last Olympics, as she plans to retire before 2024.

ALLYSON FELIX BIOGRAPHY: INTERVIEW ON COVID-19, TOKYO 2020

In April of 2021, Felix spoke about training for the Tokyo 2020 Summer Olympics in the midst of a pandemic, as well as her thoughts on the games.

According to Felix, learning that the games would be postponed was one of the hardest moments of the pandemic. “As an athlete, everything is timing,” she said. “And for me personally, I feel like my family had made a lot of sacrifices for me to be able to have this opportunity, and so for it not to go according to plan… was really difficult.” Luckily, Felix was able to “take that time to [her] advantage and just get stronger and better and continue to move forward.”

In terms of mental health, Felix explained that the pandemic showed her how much of a priority it should be. She described to uSports her routine for staying grounded and prioritizing her mental health.

“I try, starting each day… with my gratitude journal and just jotting down things I’m grateful for. A lot of times that’s family, health, all those things that we’re seeing a lot of people struggle with, and that really centers me,” she said.

Speaking about her training process, Felix mentioned the challenges of training in Los Angeles due to the restrictions. She described to uInterview the novel experience of training in her own neighborhood, with her neighbors coming out to watch her and her coach, Bob Kersee.

“We’ve trained on the street, we’ve trained on the beach, we’ve trained on San Vicente,” said Felix. “Thankfully, Bobby’s been really great at navigating us through this process… as long as there’s a surface to run on, we’re running.” Catch Felix’s full description of her training process at the top of the page.

Entering what would be the fifth Olympics of her career, Felix explained that “it takes a lot to kind of ruffle my feathers now, and I know what to expect… I’m able to train much smarter.”

Coming in with so much experience, both in the Olympics in particular and in her almost two-decade-long career, Felix explained that she was much more conditioned emotionally which let her focus on the technical aspect of the competition.

“It’s almost a great place to be, just having that benefit of having done this for several years now. I know when things are going well, when things aren’t, and what I need to adjust,” she said.

This would also be Felix’s first Olympics after having given birth in 2018. While it took a period of time for Felix to return to her previous standard, she explained, “This is probably the best that I’ve felt after giving birth, and so I’m really excited about that and excited just to feel like myself again.”

The athlete confirmed with uSports that she planned on this being her final Olympics.

ALLYSON FELIX BIOGRAPHY: PERSONAL LIFE

Felix is married to Kenneth Ferguson, an American sprinter and hurdler. The pair have a daughter, Camryn, who was born in 2018.

ALLYSON FELIX BIOGRAPHY: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON MOTHERHOOD

Entering her first Olympics as a mother, Felix spoke with uInterview about the joys and challenges of balancing motherhood with her athletic career.

“Being Cammy’s mom is the number one job that I have,” she explained. “It’s my biggest accomplishment.” Felix also explained how motherhood came with its own set of challenges, but her daughter provided the inspiration and motivation necessary to overcome them.

“She’s really helped me find my voice and allow me to do things bigger than wanting to run fast, so I’m just so grateful for the blessing she is, and excited as we get closer for her to be able to experience all this.”

Check out the full interview below.

Jessica Long is a Russian-American Paralympic swimmer. Born with fibular hemimelia, Long had her lower legs amputated at 18 months old. She has won 23 Paralympic medals in the S8, SB7, and SM3 category events.

JESSICA LONG BIOGRAPHY: EARLY LIFE AND ADOPTION

Jessica Long was born on February 29, 1992 (Jessica Long age: 29). Long, originally named Tatiana Olegovna Kirillova, was born in Brantz, Russia, to parents aged 16 and 17. Unequipped to deal with her disability, her parents put Long up for adoption. At 13 months old, Long was adopted by Americans Beth and Steve Long. She started her new life in Baltimore, Maryland. The Longs also adopted her brother, Joshua, from the same orphanage at the same time. At 18 months, her legs were amputated in order to fit her for prosthetics, which would give her more mobility. This was the first of 25 surgeries Long had to go through as she grew up. Her adoptive parents encouraged her to try sports, and she especially excelled at swimming.

Long has five adoptive siblings – Joshua, Steven, Amanda, Hannah and Grace.

JESSICA LONG BIOGRAPHY: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON CHALLENGES FACED

Long spoke exclusively with uInterview in 2012 about some of the struggles she’s faced as a Paralympic athlete.

“I think with being a Paralympic athlete, we’re going to face challenges,” she said. “We already have our whole lives. For me, it’s been my legs, with surgeries throughout growing up.”

Long endured an astounding 25 surgeries throughout her childhood and career as her body grew. Despite the magnitude of her trials, the Paralympian had a message of positivity from her experiences.

“I’ve had many surgeries on my legs, many things that have come in my way, blocked my goal… You just have to overcome them, and still have faith, and continue to push on.”

The swimmer, who has won 23 medals at the Paralympic Games, described how she had appendicitis a week before the Paralympic trials in 2008.

“There’s just so many different things that can come, and you never know if anything can happen,” Long said. “It’s really just looking past it and understanding that it’s all part of a plan.”

Check out the full interview at the top of the page.

JESSICA LONG BIOGRAPHY: CAREER

Long joined her first competitive team in 2002. In 2003, she was named Maryland Swimming’s Female Swimmer of the Year with a Disability. In 2004, Long made her Paralympic debut at the Athens Paralympic Games. Despite being just 12 years old and having only swum competitively for two years, she won three gold medals (the 100-meter freestyle, the 400-meter freestyle, and the 4 x 100-meter freestyle relay.

Long broke her first two world records in 2005 during the U.S. Paralympics Open Swimming Championships, in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She won five gold medals and a bronze medal and was named swimmer of the meet.

She broke two more world records in the 100-meter butterfly and the 200-meter individual medley in the 2006 Blaze Sports Georgia Open. Also in 2006, Long competed in the International Paralympic Committee Swimming World Championships in Durban, South Africa. She won nine gold medals in seven individual events and two relays and broke five world records. She received several honors that year, including the U.S. Olympic Committee Paralympian of the Year, the AAU James E. Sullivan Award (of which she was the first Paralympian recipient), Disabled Swimmer of the Year by Swimming World magazine, and USA Swimming’s Disability Swimmer of the Year. For a second time, she broke both the 100-meter butterfly and 200-meter individual medley world records – this time at the Belgian Open.

In the 2007 Spring Can-Am Swimming Championships in Montreal, Canada, Long broke the world record in the 200-meter backstroke, 400-meter individual medley and the 800-meter freestyle. She broke another three world records (50-meter butterfly, 200-meter freestyle and 1500-meter freestyle) in GTAC Disability Open at Oakland University in Rochester, Michigan. She won first place in six individual events at the 2007 U.S. Paralympics Open Swimming Championships, coming in second in the 50-meter freestyle. Also in 2007, Long was the recipient of the ESPN Best Female Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award and was selected for a second time as USA Swimming’s Disability Swimmer of the Year.

In 2008, Long broke her 18th world record in the S8 100-meter butterfly at the Can-Am Championships in Victoria. Later that year, Long competed in the Beijing Paralympic Games, where she won four gold medals (breaking three more world records), a silver medal and a bronze medal. She was also the 2008 recipient of the Juan Antonio Samaranch IOC Disabled Athlete Award.

In 2009, Long won seven gold medals in the Spring Can-Am Championships in Gresham, Oregon. In the Summer Can-Am Championships in Edmonton, Alberta, Long again won seven gold medals and broke the world record for the S8 100-meter breaststroke. In the 2009 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships 25m in Rio de Janeiro, Long won a staggering four gold medals, each of which was a world-record-breaking swim. She also won four silver medals.

At the 2010 Can-Am National Championships in San Antonio, Texas, Long won six gold medals. She followed up this performance with seven gold medals and two new world records in International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships in Eindhoven, the Netherlands.

2011 was a big year for the already incredibly accoladed swimmer. She won nine gold medals and broke four world records in the Pan Pacific Para Swimming Championships in Edmonton, Canada. Long followed that up with six gold medals in the Can-Am Open Swimming Championship in La Mirada, California. For the third time, Swimming World magazine named her Disabled Swimmer of the Year.

Back at her third Paralympic Games, this time in London, Long won five gold medals, two silver medals, and a bronze medal. She was a recipient for the second time of the ESPN Best Female Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award and was also named U.S. Paralympic SportsWoman of the Year by the United States Olympic Committee.

Not slowing down, Long won three gold medals in the 2013 U.S. Paralympics Spring Swimming Nationals/Can-Am. She also competed in the 2013 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships in Montreal, winning three gold medals (breaking the world record in the 100-meter butterfly), a silver medal and a bronze medal. She received her third ESPN Best Female Athlete with a Disability ESPY Award.

Soon after her 22nd birthday, Long won four gold medals at the 2014 U.S. Paralympics Spring Swimming Nationals/Can-Am in Miami, Florida. Later that year, she won six gold medals and two silver medals at the Pan Pacific Para-Swimming Championships in Pasadena, California. She was also named the 2014 Para-Swimming Female Athlete of the Year by the swimming news website SwimSwam.

Thirteen years into her competitive swimming career, Long won four gold medals and three silver medals in the 2015 International Paralympic Committee (IPC) Swimming World Championships in Glasgow, Scotland. She was also selected for the fourth time as the USA Swimming’s Disability Swimmer of the Year.

Returning to Rio de Janeiro in 2016 for the Paralympic Summer Games, Long won one gold medal, three silver medals, and two bronze medals.

In June of 2021, the US announced that Long would be one of the 34 Paralympians competing in the delayed 2020 Summer Paralympics in Tokyo.

JESSICA LONG BIOGRAPHY: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON DAILY RITUALS

Long spoke exclusively with uInterview about her daily routine in preparation for the Paralympic Games. Long said she wakes up early, starting her day with training in the pool from seven to nine a.m. Afterward, she eats breakfast with the team.

Her next step is “dry land abs,” which are important for swimmers, and then “stretching after the morning workout.” She breaks up this rigorous morning with a nap. The next event is weight training for an hour, followed by another two-hour practice. She finishes the day off with yoga or pilates, before heading to bed around 9 p.m.

Long explained that in order to keep up with this grueling regimen, “you really gotta love it. If you don’t love it, it can feel like the day goes on forever.” Luckily, Long assured uInterview, “I love it, I love what I do, and I love getting stronger every day, and just feeling a difference.”

Long also described the rituals she has on race days to get in the right state of mind.

“Each race is different, each race I have a plan. Certain warm-ups, certain this, certain that,” she said. “For me, something that my team and I… do a lot of is mental prep.” Mental prep, according to Long, is a combination of visualizing and deep breathing techniques that allows them to calm down and concentrate more deeply on their performance.

“We each have our own little rituals, and for me, I love visualizing my race,” Long explained. “There are times where I put in my headphones and I’m just dancing around, visualizing doing the butterfly.”

JESSICA LONG BIOGRAPHY: PERSONAL LIFE

In 2013, Long made the decision to travel to Russia to meet her birth parents, Natalia and Oleg Valtyshev. The two had ended up getting married after putting Long up for adoption and had three more children together, one of whom was diagnosed with infantile cerebral paralysis. Her parents had no idea of her athletic achievements and worldwide fame.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fqWG5_7nwyk

On October 11 of 2019, Long married Lucas Winters, who she had been dating for four years.

April Ross is an American professional beach volleyball player. She has competed in three Summer Olympics (2012 with Jennifer Kessy, 2016 with Kerri Walsh Jennings, and 2021 with Alix Klineman), winning a silver medal in 2012 and bronze in 2016.

APRIL ROSS BIOGRAPHY: AGE, EARLY LIFE, FAMILY, EDUCATION

April Ross was born on June 20, 1982 (April Ross age: 39). She was born in Costa Mesa, California, and grew up in Newport Beach. She attended Newport Harbor High School, where she played varsity track and indoor volleyball – eventually becoming the nation’s top recruit in her graduating class for the latter sport. Ross also played on the club volleyball team Orange County Volleyball for five years.  As a senior, she won the Gatorade National Player of the Year Award and was also named the California Interscholastic Federation (CIF) Player of the Year in 1998 and 1999. During this time, Ross also played on the U.S. Junior National Team.

Ross attended the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, where she played indoor volleyball. In her freshman year, she was named the Pac-10 Freshman of the Year as well as the National Freshman of the Year. That year, USC volleyball made it to the NCAA Final Four. As a junior and a senior, she helped USC volleyball win back-to-back NCAA titles. In 2004, Ross was awarded the Honda Sports Award – an award given annually to the best female collegiate volleyball player.

APRIL ROSS BIOGRAPHY: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON SWITCHING TO BEACH VOLLEYBALL

While Ross played indoor volleyball throughout her high school and college career, beach volleyball was the place where she truly found her calling. Ross spoke exclusively with uInterview about making the switch from indoor volleyball to beach.

After college, Ross began playing professional indoor volleyball, However, she described starting to feel “very beat up.” “My knees broke down on me, my shoulder, I couldn’t swing at the ball anymore,” Ross told uSports in 2012.

For a period of time after that Ross actually gave up volleyball, and took a job hostessing. As she put it, “[figuring] out how to make a living outside of volleyball.” That didn’t last long, however. A former teammate from USC called her up and recommended she try out beach volleyball.

“I was terrible,” Ross recalled. “I don’t know why I liked it, because I usually only like things that I’m good at, but I think it was just being out on the beach, and the culture. It was a ton of fun, and I stuck with it and finally got better and better.” In Ross’s words, it was simply “a matter of fate.”

Beach volleyball was definitely a transition for Ross. “You have to think for yourself on the beach,” Ross explained. “You don’t have a coach on the sidelines yelling at you, telling you what to do, subbing you out if you’re not playing the way he wants you to. If you’re not playing good enough to win… you gotta figure out how to do something to beat the opponent.”

In addition to a mentality change, the rules of beach volleyball are different than indoor. In beach volleyball, players have to touch the ball every other time. According to Ross, this means you can’t be “hidden” in the same way as in indoor. “You have to be working on all your skills, all the time.”

Additionally, beach volleyball matches are two out of three, whereas indoor in three out five. For Ross, that means “you can make less mistakes” on the beach than in indoor.

Watch the full interview at the top of the page.

APRIL ROSS BIOGRAPHY: CAREER

In 2008, Ross and Kessy competed in Swatch FVIB World Tour – an international beach volleyball competition. They finished in third place at the ConocoPhillips Grand Slam Stavanger, second place at the Dubai Open and first place Phuket Thailand Open. Later that year, Ross and Kessy defeated world champion duo Misty May-Treanor and Walsh Jennings at an AVP tournament in Santa Barbara. In July of 2009, Ross and Kessy won the FIVB World Championships in Stavanger, Norway. In 2012, they were named the AVP Team of the Year.

In 2012, Ross and Kessy competed in the London Olympics as the No. 4 seed. They lost in the championship round to Treanor and Walsh Jennings, taking home the silver medal. Ross and Walsh Jennings partnered up in 2013, winning the final two FIVB Grand Slams of 2013. In 2016, the pair competed in the Long Beach, California Grand Slam, where they won the gold medal. In the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, the pair competed as the No. 3 seed. After defeating the No. 1 seed from Brazil, they took home the bronze medal. For the second time, Ross’s team was named the AVP Team of the Year.

In 2017, Ross partnered up with Alix Klineman. In their first tournament, the 2018 FIVB Dela Beach Open, the pair won first place. Ross and Klineman won four events in the 2019 AVP Pro Beach Volleyball Tour. Later that year, the pair won their second FIVB tournament event at the Yangzhou Open and were named the AVP team of the year.

In 2019, the pair won the Huntington Beach and New York City Open AVP tour events, the FIVB Itapema Open, and won the silver medal at the 2019 Beach Volleyball World Championships in Hamburg, Germany.

In July of 2020, Ross and Klineman won the AVP Monster Hydro Cup, the Wilson Cup and the AVP Champions Cup.

APRIL ROSS BIOGRAPHY: EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW ON HEALTH, HABITS

In 2012, Ross explained to uInterview that to prepare for the London Olympics, Ross and Kessi “looked at everything we did, as far as how we practice, how and we train… and how we eat.” Diet was an important factor for the pair, and Ross described how they “changed [their] diet a lot. Cut out a lot of carbs, cut out a lot of sugars, started eating more natural, more organic, just as healthy and clean as possible.” She mentioned that despite this strict plan, she made sure to go to a big dinner once a week and treat herself to something “really yummy.”

When asked about her morning ritual, Ross explained that she and Kessi like to take some time in the morning to relax.

“We like to have at least 45 minutes where we can drink our coffee and kind of relax,” she said. “And we try not to rush, because if you’re rushing at breakfast you’re just going to end up rushing the rest of the day.”

Watch the full interview at the top of the page.

APRIL ROSS BIOGRAPHY: PERSONAL LIFE

Ross was married to beach volleyball player Brad Keenan from 2010 to 2018.

McKayla Maroney was born in Aliso Viejo, Calif., to Mike and Erin Maroney, on December 9, 1995. From the beginning, athletics were in her blood; he father was a quarterback at Purdue University and her mother was a figure skater. She began gymnastics at the age of two when her mother sought a way to reign in her non-stop energy. She naturally excelled at the sport and, before long, was competing in junior competitions.

McKayla Maroney Bio

At age 13, she competed in the 2009 Visa Championships in Dallas, Texas. Not only did she land an Amanar in the competition, but she finished seventh overall and third in the vault final. Maroney continued to improve the next year. In the 2010 CoverGirl Classic, she placed seventh in the all-around competition with a score of 55.650; in August, she made her return to the Visa Championships looking to improve on her previous marks. This time, she finished third in the all-around competition before taking home first place in the vault finals and fourth place in the floor exercise. Following a key performance for the United States in the 2010 Pan American Championship, she was ready to join the senior ranks in 2011.

McKayla Maroney: Early Years

Even at the next level, success continued to come. Maroney took home the all-around title at the City of Jesolo Trophy in Jesolo, Italy. On the back of that victory and another strong Visa Championships — she placed second in the all-around competition and first in the vault–she headed to the World Artistic Gymnastics Championship in Tokyo, Japan. Not only did her strong performances help the United States take the first place prize, but she individually the vault final with a score of 15.3. Her career hit a bump in 2012, however, as Maroney fell during warm-ups at the Visa Championships in St. Louis, Missouri; she was taken to the hospital and diagnosed with a concussion and a nasal fracture. Despite being forced to miss a week of training, she filed a petition to compete in the United States Olympic Trials. Her request was granted. But things didn’t immediately get easier just because she was in the competition. After falls on both the beam and the bars, she only placed seventh in the all-around competition. The finals, though, were a different story. She placed first on vault and fifth on floor exercise and, when everything was said and done, she was named the first member of the Olympic squad.

McKayla Maroney: The Olympics

From then on, her life was focused chasing the gold. “I go to a chriopractor and do massages,” she told uSports just before the 2012 Olympic Games. “Nutrition is very important; you have to be healthy and get enough energy for the day to accomplish your tasks at the gym. You have to be healthy that’s one of the most important things.” But preparation was not purely physical. On the biggest stage, mental sharpness is just as important. “You just wake up, relax a little bit and try to stay in the zone,” Maroney said of her competition routine. “Then you get ready, put your leotard on, do your hair and make-up and listen to music. Just try to stay in that zone.” At the London Olympic Games, Maroney helped the United States qualify in first place despite aggravating a previous break in her foot; she also qualified for the individual vault finals in first place. In the team finals, she put in a record-setting performance to help the United States take home the gold medal. Her execution average of 9.733, the highest execution score at an Olympics or world championship under the new scoring system. Her top focus, however, was on a different prize. “I know I really want to get the Gold Medal for vault because I’ve been working so hard for that,” she told uSports before the Games began. “I really want to have that Gold Medal.” Fate, however, would intervene and a fall during her second fault meant she only took home silver. On the podium, she was spotted with her lips pursed in disappointment. The picture became the genesis of a meme, known as “McKayla is not impressed” and she was photoshopped into numerous impressive situations. She even took a photo with President Barack Obama in which they both made the famous face.

But fortunes soon changed as Maroney was once again injured in September. Dismounting from the uneven bars, she landed awkwardly; an MRI would reveal a fracture in her left tibia. It would require screws to repair it and Maroney needed to wear a leg immobilizer to keep the leg straight.

When she returned to competition in 2013, she attempted to make up for lost time. In her first event since the Olympics at the 2013 Secret U.S. Classic, she placed first on vault with her highest scores ever in the event. Then, at the Procter & Gamble World Championships [formerly the Visa World Championships], she won gold in both the vault and floor exercise. Maroney then rounded out the year at the 2013 World Artistic Gymnastics Championships in Antwerp, Belgium, where she became the first ever American woman to successfully defend her world title on the vault.

In March 2014, she underwent surgery on her knee, which sidelined her indefinitely. Then in April 2015, she made a YouTube video revealing that she struggled from adrenal fatigue, which led to depression and anxiety issues. It is unknown if she will return to the sport.

McKayla Maroney: Beyond Gymnastics

Despite being sidelined from the sport, Maroney can still pursue her other passion. “After gymnastics, I know that I want to be an actress,” she told uSports. “That sort of thing seems really fun for me.” She appeared on several episodes of CW’s comedy-drama Hart of Dixie as Tanya from 2012-2015. She also made a guest appearance on Bones in 2013.

Photo: McKayla Maroney of USA competes in the Womens Balance Beam Qualification on Day Three of the Artistic Gymnastics World Championships Belgium 2013 held at the Antwerp Sports Palace on October 2, 2013 in Antwerpen, Belgium. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images)

US Olympic Gold Medalist Nastia Liukin Reveals… by uSports

Nastia Liukin (October 30, 1989) is a Russian-American retired gymnast. She has won championships at the Olympic games, World Artistic Gymnastics Championships, and U.S. Gymnastics National Championships. Liukin is tied with Shannon Miller for the most medals by an American gymnast in a single non-boycotted Olympic games with her five at the 2008 Beijing games, including a gold in the all-around competition. After being a cornerstone of the U.S. senior team in the late 2000’s, Liukin attempted to make the 2012 London Olympic team, but fell short in qualifying. She retired from gymnastics in 2012 and has gone on to attend New York University as well as become a gymnastic analyst for NBC Sports and a contestant on ABC’s Dancing with the Stars.

Nastia Liukin Early Life

Nastia Liukin was born Anastasia Valeryevna Liukin on October 30, 1989 in Moscow, Russia, then at the time under the Soviet Union. She’s the only child of 1988 Olympic gold medalist gymnast Valeri Liukin and 1987 world champion gymnast Anna Kotchneva. After the fall of the Soviet Union, Liukin and her family moved to the United States when she was 2. After living near New Orleans, the family moved to Texas, where Valeri opened a gymnastics academy in Plano with fellow Soviet gymnastics champion Evgeny Marchenko in 1994.

In 2007, Liukin graduated from Spring Creek Academy in Plano, Tex. She enrolled at Southern Methodist University in Dallas in 2008, but left the college to focus on her gymnastics career.

Nastia Liukin Gymnastics Career

Being in a family full of gymnasts made gymnastics an easy choice for Nastia Liukin. She began to take up the sport at the age of 3 when she had to go with her parents to the practices they coached, as they were unable to afford a babysitter for her. Liukin fell in love with gymnastics and decided she would follow in her parents’ footsteps and start performing in competitions.

In an exclusive interview with uSports sister site uInterview, Liukin told us about the connection between the sport and her parents made her drive to be just like them. “I think I was a gymnast before I was even born. I just always had a passion and love for the sport of gymnastics,” she said. “I think that by them achieving what they did, I remember as soon as I knew what the words Olympic games meant I wanted to go there. Whatever that meant, I wanted to go to the Olympics and I wanted to follow in their footsteps and achieve what they did. It was really great to have somebody that I looked up to as my parents and to see their Olympic and world medals and say that I wanted one of my own.”

Liukin’s junior career saw her competing in the 2002 National Championships. Although she was unable to finish the uneven bar routines after suffering a fall, she finished the event in 15th, which landed her a spot on the U.S. National Team. She also landed a spot on the 2002 Junior Pan American Championships team, where she helped contribute to the United States’ team gold medal as well as winning silver in the uneven bars, balance beam, and all-around events.

Although Liukin was too young to compete for the United States at the 2004 Olympics in Athens, she emerged as one of the nation’s top gymnasts in 2003 and 2004. She won the junior division of the U.S. National Championships in 2003 with gold medals in three of the four events she competed in. She was also a part of the gold medal winning U.S. team at the 2003 Pan Am Games, where she also won gold in the balance beam and a silver in the all-around. Liukin won the all-around at the 2004 Pacific Alliance Championships and once again dominated the junior division at the U.S. National Championships for her second straight championship. U.S. Gymnastics leaders say had Liukin been 15 years old, the threshold for the senior division, she would’ve made the American team for the Olympics.

Liukin began her senior career in 2005 with similar success as her junior career. She won her first senior U.S. National Championship in 2005 with gold medals in the balance beam and uneven bars. She also had success at the international level in her first senior year, grabbing gold at the 2005 World Gymnastics Championships in Melbourne, Australia in the balance beam and uneven bars and silver in the all-around and floor exercise. She also won the 2005 U.S. Classic all-around competition.

Liukin continued the momentum in 2006 with a victory in the all-around at the American Cup.  She then went on to win two individual gold medals, an individual silver medal, and a team gold medal at the 2006 Pacific Alliance Championships. At that year’s U.S. Classic, she recovered from two falls to settle for a solid 4th place finish in the all-around event. Liukin was once again a senior national champion after defending her all-around, beam, and bar titles at the U.S. National Championships and was named to the U.S. team for the World Championships once again. She suffered an ankle injury in training and was only able to compete in the uneven bars and team events. Even still, Liukin left Denmark with two silver medals with gutsy performances at the 2006 event.

Although Liukin’s ankle injury would keep her out for much of the 2007 season, she still competed in gymnastics’ biggest competitions. She returned in time for the 2007 Pan American Games in Brazil, where she contributed to the United States’ gold medal in the team competition and placed second in the bars and beam. She also went back to the U.S. National Championships, where she won the bars once more but had to settle for 2nd in the beam and 3rd overall in the all-around, finishing behind the new national champion in Shawn Johnson. Liukin was once again named to the U.S. Team for the World Championships, where she helped the U.S. win gold in the team event, added another gold in the balance beam competition, and finished with a silver in uneven bars. Liukin finished a disappointing 5th in the all-around, however, after falling off the balance beam during her routine.

Liukin’s 2008 season started off with a victory at the American Cup and 1st place finishes in the team, all-around, and balance beam competitions, as well as second in uneven bars. at the Pacific Rim Championships. At the U.S. National Championships, Liukin finished in 2nd behind Shawn Johnson in the all-around competition and won both the balance beam and uneven bars events. Liukin moved onto the U.S. Olympic Trials in Philadelphia, where she easily qualified for the U.S. 2008 Beijing team with a second place finish in the event.

The 2008 Olympic Games were nothing short of spectacular for Nastia Liukin. She started off the competition by qualifying for the finals of four events as well as the team competition. She took part in three events of the team competition, helping to propel the United States to a silver medal, just 2.375 points behind the heavily favored Chinese team. Liukin followed that up by winning the gold in gymnastics’ individual crown jewel event, the all-around, silvers in uneven bars and the balance beam, and a surprising bronze in the floor exercise. Liukin became just the third American woman to win the Olympic all-around, with Mary Lou Retton and Carly Patterson coming before her. Her five medals also tied Retton and Shannon Miller for the most medals won by an American gymnast in a single Olympic games. Liukin left Bejing and the 2008 calendar year as the USOC Co-Sportswoman of the Year with swimmer Natalie Coughlin, the Women’s Sports Foundation Individual Sportswoman of the year, and USAG Sportswoman of the Year. She also ranked 3rd in the Associated Press’ voting for the 2008 Female Athlete of the Year award.

After the Olympics, Liukin decided to continue to compete in gymnastics, which is usually an unlikely occurrence for gymnasts. She toned down her schedule and only competed in the balance beam competition at the U.S. Championships. She finished fourth in the event and was on her way to another World Championship appearance, but she decided she was unhappy with her recent form and withdrew from consideration for the event.

After taking time off, Liukin came back to gymnastics in 2011 by announcing her intentions to compete for a spot on the 2012 U.S. Olympic team. Liukin told uInterview about the tough road she faced on her comeback after years of not training. “It’s not been easy — not that I thought it would be easy, but I’m not really sure what I thought,” she admitted. “It’s been hard, but at the same time it’s very rewarding to know that I’ve been able to be where I am at today because of hard work. Hard work never disappears, and that’s something we’ve been taught from a very early age, if you work hard every single day and set your mind to it and if you believe it, anything is possible. It’s definitely been hard, but I think it’s been worth it — worth every bit of pain and every single thing that I’ve gone through these past six months has been totally worth it.”

She was granted a waiver by USA Gymnastics to compete at the 2012 Visa National Championships when she met the criteria score in the balance beam event at the U.S. Secret Classic. She went on to finish 6th in the beams and 20th in the bars, but was still chosen to compete for a spot on the Olympic team at the Olympic Trials.

Liukin’s gymnastics career came to an end in the Olympic Trials after failing to qualify for the U.S. team. She suffered a fall in the uneven bars event and had to receive assistance from her father Valeri in order to finish up her routine. She finished the event in the beam event to a standing ovation by an appreciative crowd. She retired after the event, but still made the trip to London as the athlete representative of the International Gymnastics Federation.

Nastia Liukin Post-Gymnastics Life

Since her first step back from gymnastics in 2010, Nastia Liukin has hosted the Nastia Liukin Cup for junior and senior level 10 gymnasts prior to the AT&T American Cup. The event helps give gymnasts not yet at the top level the opportunity to compete in an arena setting and on a raised podium surface. Several future American gymnastics stars have competed in the competition, including 2012 Olympic champion Gabby Douglas, Ashton Locklear, Mykayla and Kayla Williams.

Liukin’s 2008 Olympic run made her go through the rounds of many talk shows, as well as landing her appearances on shows such as Gossip Girl and Make It or Break It. She also appeared in the 2008 ABC women’s cancers special Frosted Pink With a Twist.

Since her retirement, Liukin has contributed to NBC Sports’ coverage of the Olympic Games. After failing to qualify in 2012, she joined NBC in London to serve as an analyst during the gymnastics events. Two years later, she returned to NBC as a special correspondent during their coverage of the 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi, Russia. Liukin also does professional speaking on her experiences in the Olympics and subjects on women in sports.

In early 2013, Liukin returned to school by enrolling at New York University. She is currently studying sports management and psychology.

In 2015, Liukin was added to the roster of celebrity contestants in the 20th season of ABC’s Dancing with the Stars. She competed with a five-time winner on the show, professional dancer Derek Hough. Although Liukin and Hough were consistently one of the best couples on the show throughout the season, the two were eliminated in the semifinal round despite receiving high marks from the judges.

On Memorial Day weekend of 2015, Liukin will serve as the grand marshal for the Indianapolis 500.

Liukin has been a part of multiple advertising campaigns with her sponsors. Among them are appearances for Visa, AT&T, CoverGirl, Adidas, and Subway. She has also appeared on the box of Wheaties cereal after the 2008 Olympics. Liukin has also expressed interest in fashion, releasing a clothing line for JC Penney in 2010.

Liukin is also been a known contributor towards aid after natural disasters. In 2008 she helped raise funds for victims of Hurricane Ike in her native Texas and did the same in 2012 after Hurricane Sandy.

uSports: Mookie Wilson On The Mets & Toronto… by uSports

William Hayward “Mookie” Wilson  (February 9, 1956) is a former professional baseball player who played for the New York Mets and Toronto Blue Jays in a career that spanned from 1980-1991. Wilson didn’t have the flashiest hitting statistics, batting a career .274, with his career best season at .299, and scoring 67 home runs and 438 RBI. However, Wilson’s strength was in his speed, snatching 327 stolen bases in his career and boasting a fielding percentage of 98.2%.

Mookie is most well-known for his at-bat in the 1986 World Series, when his ground ball went through the legs of Boston Red Sox 1st baseman Bill Buckner to win Game 6 for the Mets and set up a Game 7 victory for the title. The outfielder was one of the first building blocks in place for the Mets in the 1980s and is seen as one of the first home-grown stars on the championship team. After being caught in a crowded outfield platoon, the Mets traded Wilson to the Blue Jays in 1989, where he would play until his retirement. Wilson’s life in the game of baseball would not end there, as he would become a coach within the Mets organization for two different periods of time before settling into a front office position. He was named to the Mets Hall of Fame in 1996, his biggest individual honor.

Early Life

Wilson was born in 1956 in the town of Bamberg, S.C. He would be nicknamed “Mookie” early on in his childhood, which would stick with him throughout his playing days.

Mookie grew up with his family on a farm, where they worked five days a week as well as Saturday mornings. His family also had a tradition of loving baseball, which Wilson says contributed to his passion for the game. “If you were born into that family, baseball was mandatory,” he told uSports in an exclusive interview. “Mid-day Saturday, it was time to play. My father was an avid baseball game. He loved the game and taught me very well. Some of the things he taught me on the farm about playing baseball I used in my professional career because those philosophies still stand today. It wasn’t so much about the technique of the game… [it was] the mental side of the game, doing the best you can and everybody is different.” Although Wilson admits he could’ve done better later on in his professional career had he learned some of the more technical aspects of baseball, he thanks his father’s teachings for helping him out greatly later on in his career.

As an African-American, growing up in the South of the 1950s and 1960s was difficult for the Wilson family with racism and segregation holding a firm grip on the region. “I was probably too young to understand everything that was going on,” Mookie says, “I just knew things weren’t equal. To a young person, that’s disturbing because you feel ‘hey, I should be able to do and go whereI want to go’ in a time you couldn’t do those things. You had to go to back doors to restaurants, back doors to doctor’s offices- if the doctor would even see you… those things really affect young people.” However, Wilson says he isn’t bitter about growing up in a time of segregation. “It serves no real purpose,” he says. “I grew up to accept that it was part of the culture. It wasn’t right, but growing up in that culture actually helped me grow to be the person I am.” He also says that even with segregation, he still maintained good relationships with white people, including his youth baseball coach, whose son’s still very good friends with Wilson.  Ultimately even with the bad times, Wilson says there were “many good times” that helped him have a “very happy childhood,” with both experiences helping him become who he is now.

After pitching in high school for the Bamberg-Ehrhardt baseball team, Wilson signed a letter of intent to play for the South Carolina State Bulldogs. Just days later, however, South Carolina State shut down its baseball program. In 1974 and 1975, Wilson attended Spartanburg Methodist College to begin his collegiate career. In the 1976 draft, Wilson was picked by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Wilson did not sign, as he rather wanted to improve his draft stock at the University of South Carolina than go straight to the minors. The move paid off for Wilson, as not only did he reach a College World Series with the Gamecocks in 1977, but also was drafted by the New York Mets in the 2nd round (two rounds sooner than when he was picked by Los Angeles a year earlier).

New York Mets

Wilson spent four years in the Mets’ minor league system. He earned the International League (AAA) Rookie of the Year Award in 1979 and followed that up with a 50 stolen base, 92 run season for the Tidewater Tides in 1980. The Mets called Wilson up to the majors in September of 1980 with the annual expansion of major league rosters at the conclusion of the minor league season. Manager Joe Torre would start Wilson at Center Field in all but five of the Mets’ remaining games that season.

1981 would become a breakout year for Wilson, as after a change to center field he began to find a groove. With a batting average of .271 and an on-base percentage of .317, Wilson became the leadoff hitter for the Mets. He only hit three home runs in the season, but two of them would be game winning, walk off dingers. His contributions helped the Mets elevate themselves from the bottom of the standings to a competitive team, finishing only 5.5 games back of the NL East champion Montreal Expos. The momentum continued into 1982, where he would break the Mets single-season stolen base record with 58 swiped bags. The next season was much of the same, with 54 stolen bases and a career high 91 runs. By the end of the 1984 season, Wilson was already the Mets’ stolen base king- and arguably the face of the franchise. Wilson’s 1985 season was struck short by injury, playing in just 93 games. He would miss two months due to shoulder surgery and would come back to a much more limited role when he returned in September.

Wilson and the Mets would put it all together in 1986 on a team that was filled with characters on and off the field. As much as the Mets were known for their great play that season, they were equally remembered for their party-boy lifestyles off of it. Wilson was seen by critics as the “good guy” of the team, given his good behavior compared to his teammates’ issues. Wilson told uSports that he feels his teammates’ reputation was a bit unfair, though. “It’s very overstated. They weren’t bad guys. They were unusual athletes… they enjoyed their free time. We may not agree with that, but we have to honor the fact that in their free time they did what they wanted to do. But, the one thing you have to respect is when they came to the ballpark to play, there was nobody better than those guys.” Wilson says it’s an honor to be called a part of that team. He also gave praise to Darryl Strawberry, who he called “the perfect athlete” at the time, and Keith Hernandez, who in Wilson’s eyes is “one of the most intelligent ballplayers” he’s ever played with and to this day “a good friend.”

Although Wilson’s regular season was good, hitting a then-career high .289 and improving his runs and stolen base numbers from his injury-hampered previous season, his heroics in the postseason would be his greatest accomplishment. Although he struggled in the NLCS against the Houston Astros with a .115 batting average, he played an important role in the ninth inning of Game 6. He would drive in a run and score another one to help force extra innings in a 16-inning epic that would give the Mets the National League pennant. His World Series against the Red Sox went much better, hitting .329 with 3 stolen bases. His Game 6 at-bat in the bottom of the 10th, however, would leave himself in a place of baseball lore forever.

“It is probably one of the most exciting moments I’ve had in my career,” Wilson told us of the ground ball he hit to win Game 6. “To be a part of one of the greatest moments in baseball is just phenomenal. There are some athletes who just dream of just being in that position and I just happened to be there and I’ve been very grateful for it.” He goes on to say it was a situation where the Mets “shouldn’t have won that ballgame,” but New York got three straight hits in a do-or-die situation to bring Mookie up to the plate. Wilson remembers that going through his head walking into the batter box is “the last thing you want to do is let the team down… do not be the last out.” The pressure, which Wilson says was easily there, was dwindled a bit after Boston “let him off the hook” with a wild pitch that tied the game. “Now,” Wilson recalls, “is a matter of putting the ball in play.” Wilson did just that, hitting the ball towards Billy Buckner. In “something that probably shouldn’t have happened, but it did” in Mookie’s words, the ball went right through his legs and the Mets won Game 6. The next night the Mets would come back to Shea Stadium to win Game 7 and clinch their 2nd World Series title in franchise history.

We asked Wilson if he felt bad for Buckner’s error. “The answer is no… it’s one of those things that happened and in fact he doesn’t want you to feel bad for him. He understands the game is full of surprises and he made a mistake, which is something that happens in the game all the time. If it had not been for the World Series, nobody would even give him second thoughts.” Wilson says the two of them have become very good friends over the years and talk about the play “very candidly.” The two have also often signed autographs of the picture of the play together at various events through the years.

The next season, however, marked the beginning of the end of Wilson’s time as a Met. Although Wilson batted for his career high of .299 that season, he was now a part of a very crowded outfield for the Mets. He and fellow Mets star Lenny Dykstra were publicly unhappy with the situation, with Wilson going as far as requesting a trade. Even so, Wilson produced some of his best numbers as a Met as part of the new outfield platoon. Wilson’s playing time continued to get cut in 1988, but Mookie contributed to the Mets’ cause with a red-hot end to the season, batting .385 with 5 homers, 22 RBI, and 31 runs scored in this period, as well as adding to his 15 stolen bases on the season.  The Mets would end up winning 100 games in 1988, winning the NL East handily. In the NLCS, where Wilson had a limited role with the outfield platoon, the Mets would lose to the Dodgers, a team they had dominated in the regular season, in seven games and were unable to recapture the magic of two years earlier.

Wilson was set to become a free agent in 1989, but the Mets picked up his option. After a slow start to his season and more acquisitions to the outfield made, the writing was on the wall that Wilson would no longer be a Met. On July 31st, the trade deadline, Wilson was traded north of the border to Toronto and became a Blue Jay, marking the end of his tenure in Flushing as a player.

Toronto Blue Jays

After a slow start to his time as a Blue Jay, Wilson ended the 1989 season on a high note, hitting .298 and swiping 12 bags for Toronto. In the division clinching game against the Baltimore Orioles, Wilson hit for an RBI and came around to score the winning run to give the Blue Jays the AL East crown. Toronto would fall to the stacked Oakland A’s team in the ALCS, but Wilson proved himself as a valuable player for the Blue Jays. He was rewarded with a two year contract with Toronto, which led to a 1990 season that saw Wilson go back to being a day-to-day performer. At the age of 34, Mookie was still as dangerous as ever on the base paths, as he racked up 23 stolen bases. He also appeared in 147 games, the most he saw since 1984, and logged 629 plate appearances, something he hadn’t done since 1983.

Wilson was once again a part of an outfield platoon in 1991, as the Blue Jays put him in a rotation at Left Field. It would end up being a successful strategy, as the Jays were able to win the AL East easily. 1991 saw a drop off in numbers for Wilson, however, diving into career lows for games played (86), batting average (.241), and stolen bases (11). Although he appeared in 3 of the 5 games of the 1991 ALCS, in which Toronto lost to the eventual World Series champion Minnesota Twins, Wilson’s option would not be picked up for the 1992 season by Toronto (which would end up being the first of two straight World Series titles for the Blue Jays). After not receiving any offers from other teams that offseason, Wilson retired from playing baseball at the age of 36.

coaching career

Wilson couldn’t leave the sport of baseball for too long, as he soon would begin a career as a coach. He reunited with the Mets in 1996 to become their first base coach, a role he held until 2002. The Mets would also honor Wilson by enshrining him to the Mets Hall of Fame in 1996, making him forever be a part of the Mets franchise. He then became a manager within the Mets’ farm system, first for the Rookie League Kingsport Mets and the single-A Brooklyn Cyclones. After those stints, he became the Mets’ base running coordinator, helping players such as Jose Reyes, who eventually broke Mookie’s Mets stolen base records, dominate the base paths. Wilson spent one more season as a first base coach for the Mets in 2011 before moving into a front office position for the organization. He was also the manager of Team USA at the 2013 Futures Game, part of the All-Star Weekend festivities at Citi Field that season.

 Personal life

Wilson was one of 12 children, including former minor league players Phil and John Wilson. He is married to Rosa Gilbert and is the stepfather to former major leaguer Preston Wilson, as well as the father of three daughters. Together with Rosa they have founded an educational center for girls in New Jersey and have even recorded a gospel CD sung by the family. He is also the author of the book Mookie: Life, Baseball, and the ’86 Mets, which dives into his personal life and his stories of playing for the New York Mets.

Ozzie Smith Bio: In His Own Words by uSports

Osbourne Earl “Ozzie” Smith (December 26, 1954) was a professional baseball player for the San Diego Padres and the St. Louis Cardinals from 1978 to 1996. His athleticism and  his abilities at shortstop were nothing short of magical; his prowess at the position earned him the nickname “The Wizard of Oz.” He displayed this athleticism with his signature backflip that he would often do in the middle of any given game. At the time of his retirement, Smith had set the MLB records for career assists (8,375), double plays (1,590), as well as the National League record for games played (2,511) by a shortstop (Omar Vizquel has since broken the double plays record).

Smith was a key member of the World Series-winning 1982 Cardinals as well as the NL pennant-winning team in 1985. A 15-time All-Star, Smith won the NL Gold Glove Award at shortstop for 13 straight seasons (1980-1992) and was also the winner of the 1987 NL Silver Slugger Award for shortstops. In 2002, he was elected into the Baseball Hall of Fame in his first year of eligibility.

Early Life

Smith was born in Mobile, Alabama. He was Clovi and Marvella Smith’s second of six children (five boys and one girl). When he was six, the Smiths moved to Los Angeles or, more specifically, the Watts section. His mother worked as an aide at a nursing home and his father was a delivery truck driver for Safeway.

Smith played almost every sport in what was a very active childhood thanks in part to his mother. His mother encouraged him and his siblings to play sports as long as they worked hard in school, so that one day they could escape the impoverished and violent environment. In 1965, they got tangled up in the Watts riots; Smith recalls having to sleep on the floor for a week because of snipers and looting.

Smith was able to stay content and happy as a child in Los Angeles; he would often go to Los Angeles Dodgers baseball games via an hour long bus ride about 25 times a year. He also discovered a neighborhood lumberyard which he and his friends used as their own apparatus to practice backflips.

In high school, Smith had narrowed his athletic focus to basketball and baseball. He was in good company at Locke High School: on the basketball team, he was a teammate of future NBA player Marques Johnson, and on the baseball team, he was a teammate of future fellow Hall-of-Famer Eddie Murray. After graduating, he received a partial academic scholarship to Cal Poly San Luis Obispo in 1974 and walked on to the baseball team. It was here that he learned to switch-hit from Cal Poly coach Berdy Harr. When the starting shortstop broke his leg in the middle of the 1974 season, Smith took over. He was later named an All-American and set school records in stolen bases (110) and at bats (754) before graduating in 1977.

San Diego Padres

In 1977 Smith was drafted by the Padres in the fourth round and signed to a contract that included a $5,000 signing bonus. After a year at the Class A level, he began 1978 as a non-roster invitee to the Padres’ spring training camp in Arizona. Padres manager Alvin Dark told reporters that the shortstop job was Smith’s until he proved he couldn’t handle it. Smith cites this as a moment that gave him the confidence to play at the major league level. Despite Dark getting fired during spring training, Smith won the job and debuted on April 7, 1978.

Smith made an impact almost right away with his impeccable fielding ability. In just his tenth game, he made what many consider to be one of the most impressive fielding plays of his career. On April 20, 1978, the Padres were hosting the Atlanta Braves. Jeff Burroughs hit a ground ball up the middle, which should have been a base hit. Smith had a good jump on it though and fully extended his body in a dive for the ball. However, the ball hit a rock or a bad lip of dirt and jumped in another direction. Smith simply reacted to it and, while he was still in the air, reached behind him with his bare hand and caught the ball: he then leaped to his feet and threw Burroughs out at first.

While on a road trip in Houston, Smith met an usherette at the Astrodome, named Denise, who would eventually be his wife. It was also during his rookie year that he introduced his signature backflip. Andy Strasberg, the Padres’ promotion director, often watched Smith doing backflips during practice or warmups before the fans entered the stadium. Strasberg asked him to do one for the fans during Fan Appreciation Day on October 1. Smith ended up doing it and received a great reaction and after that day it stuck with him.

Smith finished that season as the runner-up in the NL Rookie of the Year race to Bob Horner. After a less successful sophomore season, Smith and his agent Ed Gottlieb engaged in a contract dispute with the Padres before the 1980 season. Eventually it was sorted out and Smith began to excel in the majors. In 1980, he set the single-season record for most assists by a shortstop with 621 and began his streak of 13 consecutive Gold Gloves. In a preseason feature article on Smith by the Yuma Daily Sun, the nickname “The Wizard of Oz” made its first appearance. Smith was then named to his first All-Star game in 1981 as a backup.

St. Louis Cardinals

Smith still had his issues with the Padres’ front office though. Coincidentally, the Cardinals also had issues with their shortstop, Garry Templeton, who had mad obscene gestures at fans in a game on August 26, 1981 before being pulled by manager Whitey Herzog. Herzog had been doubling as the manager and general manager and was looking to deal Templeton before the trade deadline. Herzog was contacted by Padres GM Jack McKeon at the 1981 baseball winter meetings. McKeon informed Herzog that the Padres were so fed up with Smith’s agent Gottlieb that they were willing to deal Smith. He flew out to San Diego after hearing from Padres manager Dick Williams that Smith’s contract had a no-trade clause in it and met with Smith to persuade him into waiving the clause and coming to St. Louis. Smith claims that Herzog made him feel wanted and told him that the Cardinals could go to the World Series with him at shortstop. This was enough for Ozzie.

This exchange catalyzed a strong relationship between Smith and Herzog. Herzog saw great offensive potential in Smith in addition to his defensive brilliance and advised him to hit more ground balls and less fly balls in order to get on base more. “Every time you hit it in the air, you owe me a buck. Every time you hit a grounder, I owe you a buck,” Herzog told him. At the year’s end, Smith had hit about $300 away from Herzog.

Over the course of the season, the Cardinals won enough games to make the playoffs, which was Ozzie’s first appearance in the postseason. Just as Herzog had envisioned for Smith, they swept the Braves for the pennant and were set to face the Milwaukee Brewers in the 1982 World Series. Trailing 3-1 in the sixth inning of a decisive Game 7, Smith sparked the rally they needed with a hit to left field and was brought around to score their first of three runs that inning. They scored two more runs in the eighth and held on to win the World Series.

Smith and the Cardinals agreed on a new contract following the championship season that paid Smith $1 million a year. In 1983 Smith was voted as the NL’s starting shortstop in the All-Star game for the first time.

After missing most of the 1984 season with a wrist injury, in 1985, Smith compiled a solid .276 batting average, 31 stolen bases, and 591 assists. The Cardinals were dominant again, winning 101 games during the regular season and were set to face the Dodgers for the pennant. In the bottom of the ninth Game 5, with the series and the game tied at 2, Dodgers manager Tommy Lasorda called in closer Tom Niedenfuer to pitch against Smith. Smith hit lefty against the right handed Niedenfuer and in his previous 3,009 left-handed at-bats, he had never hit a home run. Needless to say, Smith cracked an inside fastball to right field that barely cleared the fence and won the game for the Cardinals. This glorious moment prompted broadcaster Jack Buck to famously make the “Go crazy, folks” call. It was also voted as the greatest moment in Busch stadium history by Cardinals fans.

Smith’s teammate Jack Clark hit a game-winning homerun in Game 6 to send the Cardinals to the 1985 World Series against the Kansas City Royals. The Cardinals got out to a 3-2 lead in the series and were on the verge of closing the Royals out in the ninth inning of Game 6 when umpire Don Denkinger controversially called a runner safe at first when he was actually, upon review, out. In Herzog’s book, You’re Missing A Great Game, he claims that if he could go back in time he would have asked Commisioner Peter Ueberroth, who was at the game, to overrule the call. If Ueberroth would have refused, Herzog says he would have forfeited the game for St. Louis. The Royals would rally and win Game 6 and then blow the Cardinals out 11-0 in Game 7.

Following this disappointment, Ozzie would continue his great on-field success; 1987-1990 marked his best statistical stretch in the big leagues. His fielding was still as sharp as ever, but it was during this stretch he elevated his offensive game to new heights. After always hitting either second or eighth in the Cardinals’ lineup, in 1987 Herzog made Smith the full-time two hitter. That year, Smith hit a career-high .303, stole 43 bases, scored a career-high 104 runs, and drove in a career-high 75 RBIs. These numbers were good enough for him to earn the Silver Slugger Award that year. On top of this, his popularity was at an all-time high, which was evident by the fact that he was the leading vote-getter for the 1987 All-Star Game.

The Cardinals headed back to the playoffs after winning 95 games in the regular season and were matched up against the San Francisco Giants; Smith struggled, but the Cardinals won the series in seven games. Next up were the Minnesota Twins. Smith again struggled in this series, hitting only .214. The Twins, led by Kirby Puckett, won the series in 7 games. But Smith’s great season did not go unnoticed; he finished second in that season’s MVP race to the Chicago Cubs’ Andre Dawson. In that offseason, Smith became the highest-paid player in the NL with a contract of $2,340,000.

While the team did not achieve the standard of success that it had grown used to in the rest of the 80’s, Smith did. He continued to be a perennial All-Star and Gold Glove winner. His brand had also grown considerably and he was now one of the most recognizable faces in sports. Known for his keen fashion sense, Smith was actually featured on the April 1988 cover of GQ magazine.

In 1990, Herzog quit as manager and was replaced by Joe Torre. The trend of the late 80’s continued as they failed to make the postseason in the five seasons that Torre was manager.  Just as well, Smith continued to play well and reach personal milestones as his career began to wind down. During the 1992 season, Smith notched his 500^th career stolen base as well as his 2,000^th hit. In the 1993 St. Louis Cardinals Yearbook, Smith stated, “No one paid attention to my offense. So having 2,000 hits is one of the things that is an accomplishment.”

The year 1992 also marked the final Gold Glove of Smith’s career: his 13 straight Gold Gloves at shortstop in the NL is a record that still stands today. Also during that year, Smith appeared in an episode of The Simpsons titled “Homer at the Bat.” “Do I think I’ll ever do another episode of The Simpsons,” Smith repeated to uInterview. “If I’m asked asked, I will! Once I get out of that hole!” 1993 was the only season from 1981 to 1996 in which Smith was not named to the All-Star team. In the strike-shortened 1994 season, his efforts in the community were recognized when he was presented with the 1994 Branch Rickey Award. These efforts continued to be recognized in 1995 when he was awarded the 1995 Roberto Clemente Award.

In 1996, Smith finalized the process of divorcing from his wife Denise. On the field, new manager Tony La Russa proclaimed that there would be an open competition in spring training between Smith and newly acquired shortstop Royce Clayton. Despite hitting and field far better than the younger Clayton, Smith was not given the starting job on opening day by La Russa: thus creating some tension between the two. They had a meeting in mid-May and La Russa asked Smith if he wanted to play for another team. Smith and his agent instead broke a deal with management and agreed to a buyout because Smith had decided to announce his retirement. On June 19, Smith held a press conference at Busch Stadium and officially announced his retirement.

In a fashion similar to the one Derek Jeter has gone through recently, the second-half of the Cardinals’ season doubled as a final tour of the NL for Smith. He was honored and commemorated by his peers and received a standing ovation at the 1996 All-Star Game in Philadelphia. The Cardinals made the playoffs again and ironically faced the Padres in the first round of the MLB’s new postseason format of three rounds. The Cardinals swept them in three games with Smith starting in Game 2. In the next round they faced the strong Atlanta Braves, who boasted one of the best pitching rotations of all time with John Smoltz, Tom Glavine, and Greg Maddux. Smith continued to play sporadically as the Cardinals lost in seven games.

Post-Playing Career

After retiring, Smith went almost directly to the broadcast booth in 1997 and became a color-commentator for the Cardinals. He also replaced Mel Allen as the host of This Week in Baseball.  After La Russa retired from the Cardinals in 2011, Smith reentered the game as a special instructor for the team in spring training.

In 2002, Smith was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame on his first ballot: he received 91.7% of the votes. At his induction ceremony on July 28, 2002, he compared his career and teammates to The Wonderful Wizard of Oz. Two weeks later on August 11, a statue of him diving for a ground ball was unveiled at Busch Stadium.

Smith has also been the brains behind a couple of lucrative business ventures. He started a youth sports academy in 1990 that is still in commission. He also opened “Ozzie’s,” a restaurant and sports bar in 1988 and invested in a grocery store chain in 1999. He’s appeared in numerous advertisements on television and on the radio in the St. Louis area since retiring. In 2006, Smith wrote a children’s book titled Hello Fredbird! In 2008, building off his interest in food, he debuted his own brand of salad dressing. In 2012, he began auctioning off his Gold Gloves and World Series rings and made over $500,000.

Personal Life

Smith is the parent of three children with his ex-wife Denise: Nikko, Dustin, and Taryn. Smith’s oldest son Nikko was one of the final 10 singers in 2005’s season of American Idol and Smith cheered him on all the way.

Sugar Ray Leonard Bio: In His Own Words by uSports

Ray Charles Leonard (May 17, 1956), or “Sugar,” is known as one of the greatest boxers of all time. His boxing achievements are nothing short of legendary. As an amateur, he won three National Golden Gloves titles, a gold medal at the 1975 Pan-American games, and a gold medal at the 1976 Olympics in Montreal. These alone lifted him to stardom at the age of 20, but he was just getting started.

After choosing to become a professional boxer due to a strenuous family situation, he surpassed the incredible level of success that he had achieved on the amateur level. By the time he retired from professional boxing (for the last time) in 1997, he had a career record of 36-3-1, he had won World Boxing Council championships in five different weight classes, and had carried the national interest in the sport more than anyone else following the retirement of Muhammad Ali.

Since then he has made a living as a boxing analyst, an actor, and the author of his 2011 autobiography, The Big Fight: My Life in and out of the Ring. He has two kids with his second wife, Bernadette Robi, whom he has been married to since August 1993.

Sugar Ray Leonard Bio — Early Life

Ray was born on May 17, 1956 in Rocky Mount, N.C. as Getha and Cicero Leonard’s fifth of seven children: most importantly, he was named after Ray Charles, his mother’s favorite singer. At the age of three, Ray and his family moved to Washington, D.C. At the age of 10, they moved permanently to Palmer Park, MD. As a child growing up there, life in the neighborhood was treacherous. He frequently witnessed lives ruined due to crime, violence, and racial tension. It did not help that his parents would often drink and began fighting over money and the other women Cicero had been seeing. Ray writes in his autobiography that he felt it was his responsibility “to keep [his] parents from killing each other.”

These experiences did not traumatize Leonard as they might have with many young adults: instead, they toughened him. His older brother Roger, however, may have been the biggest influence of his adolescence. Roger would regularly beat his younger brother up as a kid. He was a boxer; eventually he pushed Ray to come to the local rec center and join the boxing program. Ray quickly developed a passion for the sport. “Naturally I was not very good at the beginning,” he told uInterview, “but because I was so disciplined, I was so motivated, I had such a passion for the mano-a-mano that within six months to a year, I surpassed him, broke his nose, beat most guys up in the gym. I advanced very quickly.”

Soon enough, boxing had consumed Ray’s life. In his autobiography he elaborates: “The other kids assumed I was crazy — and maybe I was — but I needed to believe the extra effort would pay off someday…I became dedicated to the point that many years when I needed to lose weight, I sat in the car for hours during hot summer afternoons, the windows closed, wearing a sweatshirt covered by a sheet of plastic.” This dedication would bode well for him in the years to come.

Sugar Ray Leonard Bio — Amateur Career

At first, his style of fighting was similar to the great “Smokin'” Joe Frazier, in that he would crouch low and “bob and weave” to achieve more knockouts. However, he soon studied the techniques of Muhammad Ali and Sugar Ray Robinson and modeled his style after their more upright and straight stances in order to absorb less punishment and be more of a tactician than a brawler.

This adjustment along with all the hard work he had been putting in soon began to pay off in the amateur circuit. At the age of 17, he won his first Golden Gloves title. A year later, he was crowned as the Amateur Athletic Union’s national champion and again won the Golden Gloves.

These victories led up to the 1976 Olympics which served as a sort of coming out party for young Sugar. He was the light-welterweight representative on what many boxing experts believe to be the greatest boxing team in Olympic history. Sugar Ray dominated throughout the tournament, winning each bout by a 5-0 decision. Following winning the gold, he announced his first retirement, stating, “I’m finished…I’ve fought my last fight. My journey has ended, my dream is fulfilled. Now I want to go to school.”

At the end of his amateur career, he was 145-5 with 75 knockouts.

Sugar Ray Leonard Bio — Victim Of Sexual Abuse

Although this stretch of years was certainly filled with plenty of joy and celebration, it was also a period where two incidents occurred that haunted Leonard throughout the rest of his life. Leonard was around the age of 15 when he was sexually abused twice in a span of about six months. The first time was with a prominent Olympic boxing coach. The second time was with a wealthy benefactor, whom Leonard trusted and described as a “respectable member of the community” in his autobiography. “It was one of those things that ate at me for over 30 years.” Leonard shared this in his interview with uInterview, “It was killing me, it was really killing me.” He would then cite actor Todd Bridges’ appearance on Oprah as a moment that gave him the bravery to reveal this painful memory: “I saw Todd Bridges on Oprah and what he said and the way he stated how he felt after revealing that. It kind of gave me a little bit more incentive, more courage to talk about it.”

Since his book has been released, he has been one of the most outspoken celebrities regarding sexual abuse: becoming a poster child for the cause. He has made several public appearances to raise awareness of the issue and to strongly encourage victims to report their cases.

Sugar Ray Leonard Bio — Professional Career

Juanita Wilkinson, Sugar Ray’s high school sweetheart, gave birth to Ray Charles Leonard Jr. in early 1974. Not long before the 1976 Olympics, Juanita filed an application to receive child support payments from Prince George’s County. When she named Leonard the father, the county’s state attorney’s office filed a civil suit against Leonard to confirm paternity that he would not find out about until after the Olympics. Because of this paternity suit, he did not receive the lucrative endorsements that he had expected to following his Olympic success. On top of this, his father was battling meningitis and his mother had just suffered a heart attack. Leonard saw no other option but to fight for his family in the ring as a professional.

Leonard’s longtime boxing coach Janks Morton connected him with an attorney named Mike Trainer. Through Trainer, Leonard got acquainted with Angelo Dundee, Muhammad Ali’s trainer, who would become Leonard’s trainer and manager. Along with friends Dave Jacobs and Charlie Bronton, this would be the team that Leonard was convinced would someday make him a world champion.

Leonard made his professional debut on February 5, 1977 against Luis “The Bull” Vega in in front of 10,200 people at the Civic Center in Baltimore, Md. After winning by a six-round unanimous decision, he was paid $40,044. On September 9, 1978, in his 14th professional fight, he faced his first world-ranked opponent. Ranked 17th in the world, Floyd Mayweather Sr. gave Leonard a tough battle before ultimately being knocked out in the 10th round. Leonard won his first title on August 12, 1979 by knocking out Pete Ranzany in four rounds to win the North American Boxing Federation Welterweight Championship. Leonard was invincible: at the time he was 24-0 with 15 knockouts.

Leonard was challenged for his first world title on November 30, 1979. He was set to fight Wilfred Benitez for the WBC Welterweight Championship at Caesar’s Palace in Las Vegas. Benitez was Leonard’s toughest opponent at that point in his career, and though Leonard was in command and landing the harder punches for the majority of the match, he could not seem to put the slick Benitez away. It was not until late in the 15th round when Leonard floored the bloody Benitez with a left hook. Benitez got back up, but after a few more solid blows from Sugar, the referee stopped the fight.

Leonard had achieved what he had been working so hard for. However, this was just the start of something great. In his book, he wrote, “The win, making me the new WBC Welterweight Champion, represented a beginning, not an end. The future was limitless.” Leonard was named the Fighter Of The Year by renowned boxing publication The Ring.

Leonard made his first title defense on March 31, 1980 in Landover, Md., against England’s Davey “Boy” Green. Leonard says he was not that motivated for the match until Green made the mistake of trying to intimidate him during the pre-match staring contest by bumping into him. In the fourth round, Leonard knocked Green out with what he claims to have been the most beautiful punch he ever threw.

Next up was Roberto Durán. Durán had earned his nickname of “Manos de Piedra (“Hands of Stone”)”, boasting a 71-1 record and the Undisputed World Lightweight Title. They squared off on June 20, 1980 in the same Olympic Stadium in Montreal where Leonard had first achieved glory. The fight was being heralded as the biggest fight since Ali vs. Frazier fought five years prior. In press conferences and media events before the match, Durán dominated Leonard psychologically. Leonard, who claimed in his book that his “eyes never lied”, showed fear and insecurity in his eyes that night. The Montreal crowd booed him in favor of the more macho Durán. Leonard wrote of the match, “I was disturbed, confused, the fans getting inside my head just as Duran did, the fight no doubt lost before it had started.” Angelo Dundee advised Leonard to use his boxing skill and speed to his advantage against Durán, but Leonard let his ego get in the way and was determined to fight him toe to toe. Although Leonard fought with all his heart, this decision ended up being a mistake that cost Leonard the match. Durán won unanimously; Leonard had suffered his first loss as a professional.

Leonard would have his sweet revenge though. A rematch was scheduled for November 25, 1980. Leonard’s friend Dave Jacobs viewed this decision as unhealthy and brash, and left Leonard’s inner circle because of it. Leonard spent his time between the matches intensely preparing while Durán spent it partying and gaining weight. Ultimately, Leonard was far more ready for this match and it showed in his confidence and swagger. This time he heeded the advice of Dundee and exploited his superior boxing skill against Durán. In round seven, Leonard began to tease Durán, dancing and shuffling in front of him. At one point he wound up his right hand, feigning a massive haymaker, only to surprise Durán right in the face with a left jab. He was in utter control of the match and was embarrassing Durán. He had dominated him so thoroughly that in the closing seconds of round 8, Durán famously turned to referee Octavio Meyran and said, “No más.” Durán later said he quit due to stomach cramps. His manager, however, said that he had quit because he was embarrassed.

Leonard had regained the WBC Welterweight crown. Having learned his lesson from the first match against Durán, he rode this momentum through 1981. He would go on to win the WBC Lightweight Championship and then unify the World Welterweight Championship in 1981 in a fight with Thomas Hearns that was named Fight of the Year by The Ring. That year, he was named The Ring’s Fighter Of The Year, ABC’s Wide World of Sports’ Athlete of the Year, and Sports Illustrated’s Sportsman of the Year. However, this success came to a halt when in the spring of 1982, it was discovered the Leonard had a detached retina. Because of this, even with an upcoming match with deserving opponent Marvin Hagler, he announced that he was retiring on November 9, 1982.

In typical Leonard fashion though, he missed the ring too much and in December 1983 he announced that he was returning to fight Hagler, Hearns, Durán and all the other stars of the boxing world. He faced a storm of criticism for this from the public who felt that he was taking superfluous risks by coming back to the ring. In a fight with Kevin Howard, which had already been delayed due to more surgery on his retina, he got knocked down for the first time in his career in the fourth round. At the post-match press conference, Leonard announced that he was retiring again.

Meanwhile, Hagler had won the Undisputed World Middleweight Championship. On May 1, 1986 on a Washington D.C. talk show, Leonard announced he wanted to return to the ring to fight Hagler. Hagler agreed to the fight and they were set to battle April 6, 1987 in what was being promoted as “The Super Fight”. People were less critical and more supportive this time around because they had wanted to see Leonard fight Hagler for so long.

Although he came into the fight as a 3.5-1 underdog, in the first four rounds of the fight Leonard was too quick. He dodged punch after punch and made Hagler look sluggish. However, in the fifth, fatigue began to set in and Hagler began to connect on a few powerful uppercuts. Leonard’s knees buckled from one of them. But Leonard persevered and they fought neck and neck as both man countered the other’s momentum with rallies of their own. Both fighters were past the primes of their careers and began to slow the pace down in the tenth. In rounds 10 and 11, however, Hagler was clearly the more aggressive one and looked to finish Leonard off soon. It was then that Angelo Dundee inspired another one of Leonard’s signature comebacks; compared to Leonard’s corner, NBC commentator  Gil Clancy remarked that Hagler’s corner looked like an IBM meeting.

Leonard began punching faster and with more charisma, imploring the crowd to cheer him on and the judges to gain a positive impression, even if he wasn’t fully landing his blows. The fight concluded with them emptying whatever energy they had left on each other in a tired but dogged exchange. Leonard had been less aggressive but more efficient and ultimately more successful, landing 306/629 punches. On the other hand, while Hagler had landed fewer punches with far less accuracy, it was possible that he did more damage; he went 291/792. The judges awarded Leonard a controversial split decision, thus making him world champion again. The fight was named Fight of the Year and Upset of the Year by The Ring. Leonard retired on May 27, 1987, expressing disinterest in a rematch requested by Hagler’s camp.

Of course, he would return again on Novemeber 7, 1988, winning the WBC Light Heavyweight Championship from Don Lalonde. He would continue boxing until February 9, 1991 where he attempted to win the Light Middleweight Title from Terry Norris at Madison Square Garden in New York City. Leonard says he felt the way Hagler must have felt when they fought in 1987. Although Leonard was a 3-1 favorite, the younger Norris was too fast and too skilled. Leonard went the whole match but deservedly lost a one-sided decision. After the match, he retired once again.

In 1996, Leonard, now 40 years old and heavier, came out of retirement for the final time to fight Héctor Camacho for a less coveted International Boxing Council Middleweight Championship. They fought on March 1, 1997 in Atlantic City, N.J. Leonard was overmatched from the first bell and ended up being knocked out for the first time in his career in the fifth round. He retired following the match for the last time. In 1997 he was named to the Boxing Hall Of Fame.

Sugar Ray Leonard Bio — Personal Life

In between retirements, Leonard has worked as a boxing analyst on ABC, CBS, NBC, ESPN, and HBO. He has also appeared in commercials for Coca-Cola, EA Sports, Ford, and 7 Up, for which he famously did an ad with his son, Ray Jr., as well as Roberto Durán and his son, Roberto Jr. He has also acted in several television shows and movies, including L.A. Heat, Married With Children, The Fighter and The Contender, which he co-hosted with Sylvester Stallone. He participated in Dancing With The Stars in 2011, surviving until week 4. He also appeared in an episode of Hell’s Kitchen as a guest at the head chef’s table with MMA fighter Tito Ortiz. He is also the godfather of Khloe Kardashian and has subsequently been on a number of episodes of Keeping Up With The Kardashians.

Leonard and Juanita Wilkerson got married in January 1980 with six-year-old Ray Jr., as the ring bearer. In 1984 Juanita gave birth to a second son, Jarrel. They divorced in 1990. Juanita claimed that Leonard had been abusing cocaine and alcohol: Leonard held a press conference and confirmed the accusations. In 1989 he met Bernadette Robi at a Luther Vandross concert and began seeing her regularly: they were married in August 1993. They now have two children, Daniel Ray and Camille.