Making a Difference in Boxing

Now that my school year is winding down, I am excited about getting more and more involved with amateur boxing. Adriano and I began our judging training last weekend at the Golden Gloves tournament and I really enjoyed it. Today, we are going to officiate at Johnny Tocco's which should be fun. Hopefully the weather will be nice today as the fights will be outside. I also wrote and submitted a grant through the Nevada Community Foundation. There were a lot of other applicants so I don't know that we will get it, but we have to start somewhere. I've decided I'm going to try to find and write one grant per week. I also want to do the Nonprofit certificate program through UNLV educational outreach. There's a lot I need to understand about running a nonprofit in order to make it successful. Then this summer, I will get more involved with coaching. It will be nice to give back to Leroy and to help the kids of North Las Vegas.

The World's Fastest Indian

The World's Fastest Indian is a heartwarming and inspirational film about a real life New Zealander, Burt Munro (played by Anthony Hopkins) who travels to Utah to race his motorcycle. Anthony Hopkins is brilliant as Burt Munro whose determination, good nature and resourcefulness make you laugh and cheer for him. His story is a testament to the human spirit and the importance of believing in your dreams and taking risks to make those dreams come true. The people who help him along the way and who he in return helps gets at the core of what makes us all human. There is the neighbors' young son who spends his free time with Burt and get bits and pieces of wisdom from Burt as he acts as his assistant; The transvestite hotel clerk who is touched by Burt's nonjudgmental nature and kindness; The Salvadoran car salesman who sells Burt a car and gives him the workshop space to fix the car; A fiery older woman who lends Burt some tools as well as a little romance; an elder Native American who helps him get his "Old Indian" back on the road; the young soldier on leave from Vietnam who truly believes the war will be over soon and then the Racing community who recognize his determination and help him get into the race. It's a beautiful, simple story about making dreams come true.