Roberto Clemente

Roberto on a stamp

My hero is Roberto Clemente. I chose him because he is a good influence. He was born in 1934 and died in 1970.

Roberto was the youngest of four. He married Vera Zayla. He had three kids. He was a very good athlete. He almost broke many records.

He was significant because he helped Nicaragua in a time of need. After a powerful earthquake, he collected 25 tons of supplies to take over to the survivors. It took four planes to take it all. Not all made it. The plane Roberto was on crashed on the way there, killing him.

Roberto’s biggest challenge was segregation. Roberto was rarely allowed to play Baseball. He was one of the first black athletes to play baseball with white players.

"I would forget to eat because of baseball. And one time my mother started to burn my bat as a punishment. But I got it out of the fire and saved it." —Roberto Clemente