Jose Pedraza

Jose Pedraza was born in Mojonera, Michoacán on March 21,1937. As a child, he showed great aptitude for the practice of athletics. He was barely 15 years old when he joined the army and, within it, failed to qualify for the Olympic Games in 1960 and 1964. Almost by chance, he discovered the discipline of race walking and started a tradition that turned into a Mexican specialty. A year later and he was national champion and three later, in the course of the Olympic Games held in his country in 1968, after an exciting final, he won the silver medal at the trial of 20 km, exceeded only by the Soviet, Vladimir Golubnichiy.

His passion for running was increased when he met Iruyas Alquicira del Valle one afternoon in August 1964 at the club's sporting six-year plan, located in the Mexican capital. Fifteen days of training was enough for Predraza to win his first competition in walking, finishing 300 meters ahead of Alonso Marquez de la Mora, in a 5 km race. He began a career that would take him to Europe, Norh America and the Caribbean, with notable success, widely recognized by experts of the time. "El Sargento" Pedraza made a trip to Rome in 1967 for the chairman of the Walk FIA to undertake an assessment of the Mexican sport that, according to the English,"was revolutionizing the walk". By that time, Mexico already had a respectable race walking team, led by Jerzy Hausleber and a group of strong competitors, led by the same Pedraza, Jose Oliveros, Pascual Ramirez, Pablo Colín and Eladio Campos.

Pedraza is a hero not only for training and fighting for his dream, but because he became the first athlete to bring Mexico an Olympic gold medal.

I would remark that he had great perseverance. Some people drop out more easily than him because they say " Yeah!, I like to run", but when it becomes hard they become discouraged. He is a great example for people because we have to learn that there is more to winning than gold medals and blue ribbons, there is also the effort, training, pain and more. Because we can not get everything the easy way.

I think that Pedraza and I are similar because we are sport spirits and passionate for our sport, though I don't have his conditioning. I like to run but I get tired very easy. I got his biography information from www.wikipedia.com.