Bryce Courtenay’s best-selling novel The Power of One is a riveting coming-of-age tale about a boy in South Africa who transforms his life through boxing. Speaking about the book years later, Mr. Courtenay said that people generally misconstrued the meaning of the book’s title, thinking it referred to an individual discovering substantial inner strength, when in fact “…the title comes from and is about the power of one teacher. It is about how one teacher can lift a child out of an…environment and allow him or her… to change their life.”
“I am so grateful to all the volunteers and sponsors who have donated their time and money to make the Todos Santos Box program possible. It wouldn’t be possible without their help.”–Ramiro Reducindo Radilla
And we can see that power on full display on any given night in the auditorio of Todos Santos when Mexican boxing champ Ramiro Reducindo Radilla comes to town to train the local kids. Ramiro won the gold medal at the Pan American games in Santo Domingo in 2003, represented Mexico at the Olympics in Athens in 2004 and turned pro in 2005. When he started coaching the kids in Todos Santos not one of them had ever been in a boxing ring before. Yet now, not even 18 months later, two of his students have progressed all the way to the national championships. The power of one indeed. Says 17-year old contender Carlos Orozco, “I’d never been an athlete – let alone a boxer – before November 2011 when a friend brought me to a practice session with Ramiro. It never occurred to me then that I would make it this far, and certainly not this fast. It’s been amazing.” Fellow contender 17-year-old Cuahtemoc Aviles agrees. “I’d never boxed before I met Ramiro last year. I had very little discipline, ate a lot of junk food, I just wasn’t in good shape. Now we’ve been winning matches with kids who have several more years of experience than us. Ramiro has really changed everything for us.”
Says Ramiro, “These kids didn’t have much in the way of skill or discipline when I first started working with them, but I believed in them from the very beginning because they always had heart. When we first started we had hardly any equipment but the kids showed up anyway. Many times my car would break down on the drive from La Paz and the kids would wait for me for two to three hours, then still do a full training session starting at nine or ten o’clock at night. I’ve never doubted that these kids are champions and I fully expect to see at least one become successful on the global boxing stage.” Ramiro is so committed to helping the Todos Santos boxing students realize their potential that he coaches them at least twice a week for nothing more than a little gas money.
And with wages like that the support of the local community is critical. When Ramiro’s car engine gave up the ghost just a few weeks before the national championships, neighbors pitched right in to help get it replaced. “Engine Angels” included Michael & Pat Cope at Galeria de Todos Santos, John Stoltzfus & Todd Schaefer at the Todos Santos Inn, Ezio & Paula Colombo at Café Santa Fe, Mario Becerril at Mario Surf School, Sergio Rivera at La Casita Tapas & Wine Bar, Richard Rutowski at AmeriMex, Norm Weill – Volunteer at Large, and our own Baja Surf Camp for Women graduate, Diane Arstein!
“It’s exciting to watch the kids’ progress and see the pride of accomplishment on their faces. They’re learning so much more than boxing. It means a lot to us to be able to offer our time and support.” Cheriy Myers & Steve Stockton
And the community hasn’t been there just as a stop-gap in times of emergency. As Ramiro is eager to point out, it’s been contributing time, money and equipment all along. Moises Barraza Morales, the General Manager of Bodega Lizarraga, got the ball rolling by donating the initial equipment and practice area. When executives from Caracol and Quaker State read the first JDP article about Todos Santos Box they immediately made much-needed cash donations. When Betsy Wall, the mother of Todos Santos resident Janine Wall learned that the kids had only one red and one blue outfit to share among the whole team at competitions, she stuffed her suitcase full of blue and red t-shirts and shorts and brought them to town with her. When Todos Santos residents Cheri Myers and Steve Stockton learned that there were just a couple of sets of gloves and head gear to share among the more than 40 kids who show up to most practices, they donated the resources to get enough protective gear for all the kids. When Adolfo Blanco of the Hotel California saw all the amazing work that coaching volunteers like Mauricio Duran, Arturo Millan and Hector Alberto Agundez Martinez “El Pampa” were doing, he was inspired to donate sharp-looking warm-up suits for the coaches and students to wear to competitions. Todos Santos visitor Doug Newcomb was inspired by the inclusive nature of the program. “I wanted to support Todos Santos Box since they allowed my son Phineas to train with them while we were in town. Even though they knew he wouldn’t be there for more than a month or so, they treated him like part of the club and made him feel included. And the best part was he came home so stoked! If Ramiro can make it all the way from La Paz several times a week, the least I can do is help out by bringing equipment from the US.”
Contenders Cuauhtémoc Avilés y Carlos Orozco
“First with your head and then with your heart” is the life-changing advice dispensed by the boxing champ to an eager young student in The Power of One. The Todos Santos boxing students started out with only heart, but under Ramiro’s coaching they’ve acquired the skills and discipline to lead with their heads. As for the Todos Santos community, they’ve made the well-reasoned decision to support this program with plenty of heart.
If you would like to join Todos Santos Eco Adventures as a sponsor or volunteer with Todos Santos Box please contact Mauricio Duran for specifics: Cell: 612-13-44478 or email: .
La exitosa novela El Poder de Uno, de Bryce Courtenay, es una fascinante historia juvenil acerca de un joven en Sudáfrica quien transforma su vida a través del boxeo. Hablando sobre el libro unos años más tarde, el Sr. Courtenay dijo que la gente por lo general malinterpretó el significado del título del libro, pensando que se refería a un individuo descubriendo sustancial fuerza interior, cuando de hecho “…el título viene del poder de un maestro y es acerca del mismo. Es sobre cómo un maestro puede sacar a un muchacho o muchacha de un…ambiente y permitirle cambiar su vida.”
“I am so grateful to all the volunteers and sponsors who have donated their time and money to make the Todos Santos Box program possible. It wouldn’t be possible without their help.”–Ramiro Reducindo Radilla
Y podemos ver ese poder en pleno cualquier noche en el auditorio de Todos Santos, cuando el campeón mexicano de boxeo Ramiro Reducindo Radilla viene al pueblo a entrenar a los chicos de la localidad. Ramiro ganó la medalla de oro en los juegos panamericanos de Santo Domingo en el 2003, representó a México en las olimpiadas de Atenas en 2004 y se volvió profesional en el 2005. Cuando comenzó a entrenar a los chicos de Todos Santos, ni uno de ellos había antes estado en un ring de boxeo. Sin embargo ahora, ni siquiera dieciocho meses después, dos de sus estudiantes han progresado hasta los campeonatos nacionales. El poder de uno, de verdad. El participante Carlos Orozco, de 17 años dice: “Nunca había sido atleta, mucho menos boxeador antes de noviembre del 2011, cuando un amigo me trajo a una sesión de práctica con Ramiro. Nunca se me ocurrió entonces que llegaría tan lejos como he llegado hasta ahora, y ciertamente no tan rápido. Ha sido increíble.” Cuauhtémoc Avilés, de 17 años y también contendiente está de acuerdo. “Nunca había boxeado antes de conocer a Ramiro el año pasado. Tenía muy poca disciplina, comía mucho producto chatarra, simplemente no estaba en forma. Ahora hemos estado ganando peleas con muchachos que tienen muchos más años de experiencia que nosotros. Ramiro de verdad ha cambiado todo para nosotros.”
“It’s exciting to watch the kids’ progress and see the pride of accomplishment on their faces. They’re learning so much more than boxing. It means a lot to us to be able to offer our time and support.” Cheriy Myers & Steve Stockton
Ramiro dice: “Estos muchachos no tenían gran cosa a manera de habilidad o disciplina cuando empecé a trabajar con ellos, pero creí en ellos desde el principio porque siempre tuvieron corazón. Cuando primero comenzamos, no teníamos casi nada de equipo pero los chamacos se presentaban de todos modos. Muchas veces se me descomponía el carro en el trayecto de La Paz y los muchachos me esperaban durante dos o tres horas y todavía hacían una sesión completa de entrenamiento empezando a las nueve o diez de la noche. Nunca he dudado que estos muchachos son campeones y tengo la expectativa total de ver a por lo menos uno de ellos convertirse en un éxito del escenario global del boxeo.” Ramiro está tan comprometido con ayudar a los estudiantes de boxeo en Todos Santos a alcanzar todo su potencial, que les ayuda por lo menos dos veces a la semana a cambio de nada más que un poco de dinero para la gasolina.
Y con una paga tal, el apoyo de la comunidad es crítico. Cuando el motor de su carro dejó de funcionar justo unas cuantas semanas antes del campeonato nacional, los vecinos cooperaron de inmediato para ayudarle a reemplazarlo. Los “Ángeles del Motor” incluyeron a Michael y Pat Cope de la Galería de Todos Santos, a John Stoltzfus y Todd Schaefer del Todos Santos Inn, Ezio y Paula Colombo del Café Santa Fé, Mario Becerril de la Escuela de Surf, Sergio Rivera de La Casita Bar de Tapas y Vino, Richard Rutowski de AmeriMex, Norm Weill–voluntario a gran escala–¡y a nuestra propia graduada del Campamento de Surf Baja, Diane Arstein!
Y la comunidad no ha estado ahí sólo como un parche en momentos de emergencia. Tal como Ramiro está deseoso de señalar, la comunidad ha
Contenders Cuauhtémoc Avilés y Carlos Orozco
estado contribuyendo horas, dinero y equipo todo este tiempo. Moisés Barraza Morales, gerente general de Bodegas Lizárraga, puso las cosas en movimiento al donar el equipo inicial y el área de prácticas. Cuando los ejecutivos de Leche Caracol y de Quaker State leyeron el primer artículo en el “Journal del Pacifico” sobre el boxeo en Todos Santos, inmediatamente hicieron donaciones en efectivo que se necesitaba de verdad. Cuando Betsy Wall, la madre de Janine Wall, residente de Todos Santos, se enteró de que los muchachos tenían solamente un uniforme azul y uno rojo para compartir entre el equipo entero durante competencias, llenó a tope su maleta con camisetas rojas y azules y con shorts para traerlos al pueblo. Cuando los residentes de Todos Santos Cheri Myers y Steve Stockton se enteraron de que sólo había un par de juegos de guantes y equipo para compartir entre los más de cuarenta muchachos que se aparecen a casi todas las prácticas, donaron los fondos para adquirir suficiente equipo de protección para todos los muchachos. Cuando Adolfo Blanco del Hotel California vio todo el maravilloso trabajo que los entrenadores voluntarios como Mauricio Durán, Arturo Millan y Hector Alberto Agundez Martinez “El Pampa” estaban realizando, se sintió inspirado para donar trajes de calentamiento de muy buen ver para que los entrenadores y los estudiantes usen durante las competencias. El visitante de Todos Santos, Doug Newcomb se inspiró por la naturaleza inclusiva del programa. “Quise apoyar al Box de Todos Santos desde que le permitieron a mi hijo Pheneas entrenar con ellos mientras estábamos en el pueblo. Aunque sabían bien que no estaría él ahí por más de un mes o algo así, lo trataron como parte del club y lo hicieron sentirse incluido. ¡Y la mejor parte fue que volvió a casa tan emocionado! Si Ramiro puede llegar desde La Paz varias veces a la semana, lo menos que puedo yo hacer es apoyar trayendo equipo de los Estados Unidos.”
“Primero con la cabeza y luego con el corazón” es el consejo con el poder de cambiar vidas que el campeón de boxeo le dispensa a un joven estudiante en El Poder de Uno.
Los estudiantes de boxeo de Todos Santos comenzaron sólo con corazón, pero bajo el entrenamiento de Ramiro han adquirido las habilidades y la disciplina para dirigir con sus cabezas. Y con lo que respecta a la comunidad de Todos Santos, han tomado la decisión bien razonada de apoyar a este programa con mucho corazón.
¡Muchachos del pueblo mostrando sus cosas!
Si te gustaría unirte a Todos Santos Eco Aventuras como patrocinador o voluntario en El Box de Todos Santos, por favor contacta a Mauricio Duran para los detalles: Cel: 612-13-44478 o correo electrónico:
In the fictional movie Rocky, boxer Rocky Balboa’s hero is real-life boxing champ Rocky Marciano, the only boxer to hold the heavyweight title and go undefeated throughout his career. Both the fictional and the real Rocky come from working-class households, and find discipline, passion and success in boxing. It’s no wonder then that Alexis Nuñez, the son of a Todos Santos palapero, was inspired by the movie Rocky to take up boxing and is passionate about the sport and the discipline it provides. The real wonder is that there is a real-life Mexican boxing champ to coach him – in Todos Santos – and a community that is pulling together the resources to make the boxing dream a reality for local kids.
Boxing Champ Ramiro Reducindo Radilla with His Son and Alexis Nuñez
The story begins in the parking lot of Bodega Lizarraga in downtown Todos Santos. General Manager Moises Barraza Morales put up a punching bag one day and started inviting friends over to box. Word began to spread, friends of friends began to participate, and soon enough the local kids started coming around to join in the fun. Local business owners donated some equipment and before long the Chief of Area Promotion and Development of Sport, Julio César Covarrubias Gerardo, got involved and helped the parking lot fun evolve into a more organized program. Most importantly, Covarrubias brought in the coaching talent. And what talent!
Mexican boxing great Ramiro Reducindo Radilla won the gold medal at the Pan American games in Santo Domingo in 2003, represented Mexico at the Olympics in Athens in 2004 and turned pro in 2005. Reducindo believes so much in the talent of the boxing students in Todos Santos that he drives here from La Paz after a full day of his own training to coach. Says Ramiro, “I started boxing when I was 13, about the same age as the kids I’m coaching in Todos Santos now. My goal is for at least one of these Todos Santos boxing students to be successful on the global boxing stage. I definitely see that potential in them.”
That potential was shown to the town during the first amateur boxing contest held here on October 29 in the auditorio. Two of our local boxing students with only 4 weeks of training – Alexis Nuñez and Cuauhtemoc Aviles – went head-to-head with seasoned champions from La Paz and Los Cabos, winning several points off of their opponents, if not the matches themselves. Coach Reducindo was thrilled with their performances and is confident that we’ll be seeing great things from these two in the months and years to come. Reducindo is so committed to helping the Todos Santos boxing students realize their potential that he coaches them at least twice a week for nothing more than a little gas money.
Mauricio Duran, Samuel Dominguez Pino, The Champ and the Todos Santos Boxing Kids
But to be successful the kids must practice every day, so Todos Santos locals Mauricio Duran Ramirez and Samuel Dominguez Pino keep the program organized and keep practice going on the nights when Reducindo is not in town. Reducindo leaves instructions for exercises and activities, and Samuel (a local store owner) and Mauricio (a guide with Todos Santos Eco Adventures) make sure the students follow the program. Says Mauricio, “It has been really great to watch these kids gain confidence and become more focused in their lives, to see them setting and working to achieve goals. Boxing requires a type of discipline that is not demanded of them in the other sports available here and it is making a big difference in their lives. We’re also seeing the kids lose weight and getting more focused on health and nutrition. It’s very positive from almost every aspect of their lives.”
And you can help keep that positive trend going. Reducindo is donating his time and local businesses have donated some equipment, but the needs are still great for everything from gloves, mouth guards and head gear, to a ceiling canopy to hang punching bags. If you would like to get involved please contact Mauricio for specifics: Cell: 612-13-44478 or email: . Rocky Nuñez? Cuauhtemoc Ali? It’s all possible and you can help make it happen!
