Bronx native John Orozco an unlikely gymnastics star
By Jason Carroll and Vivienne Foley, CNN
New York (CNN) - John Orozco won his first medal in gymnastics when he was 9. But he didn't hold onto that medal for long, giving it to another boy in the competition who was in tears after being teased for a bad performance.
"He walked over to the kid that they were making fun of, and he said, 'Here you go,' and he took his medal off and put it around the kid and said, 'One day you'll be better than I am. Don't cry,' " says his mother, Damaris Orozco, who still gets choked up recalling that gesture.
"That's John. That's what he does. It's who he is."
That same Puerto Rican boy from the Bronx is now 19 and has made it all the way to the London Olympics. His heart is set on winning a gold medal - this one for his country. He may be the best hope for a U.S. gold medal in gymnastics in 2012.
Damaris Orozco says that she and her husband, William, are thrilled but not surprised their son made the Olympic team. "When that little boy told us when he was 10 years old, 'I want to go to 2012,' we believed him."
About In America
What defines you? Maybe it’s the shade of your skin, the place you grew up, the accent in your words, the make up of your family, the gender you were born with, the intimate relationships you chose to have or your generation? As the American identity changes we will be there to report it. In America is a venue for creative and timely sharing of news that explores who we are. Reach us at inamerica@cnn.com.
Black in America
iReport
Unlikely why? Because he's a neorican kid from the Bronx??? Writers, do your research on the contemporary achievements of minority groups before you draft, not just rely on 30 year-old stereotypes. This article reads like it was written in 1980.