Henry Cejudo: How a real champion bows out

IOWA CITY -- Henry Cejudo was an Olympic gold-medal winner in freestyle wrestling four years ago.

He lost to top-seeded Nick Simmons in their 55 kilograms second-round freestyle match at the U.S. Olympic Trials Sunday, then said the following:

Can you talk about your emotions and what you're feeling right now?

This sport has given me everything. You're talking about this kid who grew up in poverty. A son of Mexican immigrants that came to the United States with a dream. And that dream was to have kids and raise them here in America. I came back to this sport because I want to inspire people. The person who has inspired me for 21 years when I won the gold wasn't able to attend the Olympics because of her citizenship status. I can only say I'm sad, but at the same time I gave it my all. I went out there; the weight cut wasn't easy. I had many obstacles throughout my life; especially throughout this whole year, but I'm not going to say goodbye to the sport of wrestling. I'm done competing, but if anything I'm going to say hello. I'm going to help these guys. I'm going to help the team. And whoever makes the team at 121; I'm going to help them accomplish their dream. Hopefully they can return the favor and inspire people. I wasn't meant to be an Olympic Champion – I mean yeah – but it was to use that platform to share my story and give back. Ultimately, I'm full of peace and I'm full of joy. Those who really know me; I'm constantly joking. It's just too bad the way it ended, but I'm OK. I gave it my all. I tried and I didn't succeed (?). There's different goals in my life now. As a kid who grew up without a father; I'd like to be a father someday. I'd like to go back and hang out with my family. [There's] so much sacrifice that goes into the sport of wrestling; people don't realize. To us, it's not every four years. It's every day; it's every minute; it's every second.

Do you need wrestling to still be in your life every day?

Do I need wrestling? No. I think what I do need is people. People that need help; that's what motivates me. That's what inspires me to come back to wrestling. And I'll stick to it. I didn't come back to the sport to be the best; I came to the sport to be the best person alive. Why not? I'm going to use that platform to inspire people. So, wrestling, do I need it? No. I rely on corporate America. Put me in front of any kid, soccer player, a random kid in the ghettos. Put me around those people. That's what motivates me. That's what inspires me. I don't need wrestling. Don't get me wrong; to me wrestling's the greatest sport alive. It's made me who I am but now I'm ready to move on. I'll still me involved though; don't get me wrong. I'll say it again; I'm going to help the 2012 Olympic Team so they can accomplish their dream. Just like Terry Brands did to me. Just like Kevin Jackson did to me. Just like Brian Davis did to me. I want to return that favor.

Does that mean you want to train with these guys?

I'll train with these guys. Absolutely. My arms will be open. I'm here to here. I'm here to bring back the glory days to America.

Most guys leave their shoes on the mat. You threw yours in the stands. Why?

Because I do it for the people. I'm not here to entertain anybody, really. I'm here to wrestle and to do it for the people. I could keep my shoes. I could even sell them on Ebay. But it's not about that. I had a chance to write a book; my second book just came out. I'm just blessed. I have the best people around me. Bill McFarlane; who I owe my life to. Brain Davis; who's been there for me. My mother, Matt McFarlane, Luis, my family. Again, I do it for the people. I want to be the people's champ. Not necessarily the Olympic champ, but the people's champ.

On being a focal point of social and political issues after winning Olympics four years ago

Honestly, my goal in life is to stop segregation. Again, America is built on colors. America is built on immigrants. It doesn't matter if you're purple, blue, pink, green. America's based on where your heart's at, you know. I'm American. A lot of you guys see me and think I'm maybe Russian at this point. I told myself when I have a kid -- hopefully it's a girl -- I'm not going to name my boy ‘America.'

My plan is to name her America because I love this country. I'd die for this country. It wasn't easy. I had to win the Olympics. They're calling me an ‘anchor baby'; that I anchored my mom to the United States. Believe me, I listen to talk radio. I drive back two weeks after the Olympics and they're saying, ‘deport him, deport her.' It bugged me in some ways, but at the same time there's room for us to grow. If you change the mindset that it's not a segregated country; it's only if you let it. I'd like for all of us to united and hold hands and be one.

Did the intensity of the reaction surprise you four years ago and how you became a symbol to people, for better or for worse?

I've felt like I've been accepted for what I did for my country and the way I grabbed that American flag. It's a priceless moment. I had my dream when I was watching the '96 Olympics. I was watching Michael Johnson shatter and break the world record. The way he won gold and the way that he carried himself with that American flag; that changed my life forever. Through this man that inspired me, I get to do the same. It's just a very surreal moment. I grabbed that American flag and I just cried. [I was] so full of emotion and so full of joy that you get so emotional and tears just start to come out.

Talk about the second period and did you think you had a chance to come back?

The thing is, don't every cross me out. I could be down by 15 or 20 points and I'll find a way. Unfortunately I didn't in the third period. I'm one of those guys who's extremely dangerous when you're up against me, especially when you're up in points. Again, I give credit to Simmons. He did what he had to do and he caught me in that third period. I had to expose myself in order for him to not lock his lock. I'm OK as long as I don't get tec'd. But he did a good job. I credit to the man. He's tough and I'm going to help him. If he makes the team, I'm going to help him win gold.

Did you get enough mat time in the last year?

Well, it's not easy. I retired for three years; probably even a little more. I wrote my book. I had a lot of speaking engagements. It was actually through Bill, my agent, who convinced me to come back. He said, ‘Man, you can use that platform and do what you do at a higher level and a bigger stage.' And I said, ‘Man, Bill, you're absolutely right.' So it was a whole accumulation of my mother not being able to attend the Olympics in '08, as you can imagine. It's not just your typical wrestling match; you're wrestling for your dream. And the person who raised me for the 21 years of my life wasn't in attendance. I wouldn't necessarily say it was a bitter sweet moment, but it could've been sweeter. But it is what it is. Tomorrow the sun's going to rise, I'm going to wake up and be happy that I'm in America.

What was it like going out to the best fans in the world, the Iowa fans?

It's amazing. I've had a chance to travel the world, go to Iran; so I know what this is like. But there's nothing like being in Iowa and good old Iowans. I mean, I got a standing ovation and I don't even know if they know who I am. I threw my shoes at them because they deserve it. Extremely humbling.

Have you talked to your mom?

I haven't, but she's alright. I think she wanted me to retire anyways. She doesn't like me wrestling. I said, ‘Mom, what if I make the Olympics?' She said, ‘Nah, I don't want you to wrestle anymore.' My mom's a sweet lady. To be honest with you, she'd rather have us preaching the word of God. That's her dream.

Did you tell her that you were going to retire if you didn't win?

I did. I did. I said if anything happens I'm done. She's happy because she knows what I go through; the times that I'm away from my nieces and nephews. I'm a big family man. I love to be around my family and my mother and my friends.

Is that why you left Columbus?

Yes, I left Columbus because I was homesick. I will admit that right now. I've been gone since I was 16 years old. I was used kind of like an experiment, as they say; like they do in China. They ship you off to another state and hopefully you will become an Olympic Gold Medalist. So that's somewhat what happened with me and I happened to strike gold. I'm still a kid. I still hug my mom; try to cuddle with my mom every night that I see her. There's a lot to life than just wrestling.

You've accomplished a lot at a young age. What do you do for the next 50 years?

My goal is to go back to school. I'm currently a junior in college right now. My purpose in life is to serve others. That's what makes me happy. That's what brings joy to my life, so I'm going to do that. You guys may think it's crazy, that this kid's on another planet, but once you reach a level of success – if you don't know how to use that level of success, you'll fall into depression. If you notice, a lot of these athletes go broke and they're depressed. The still live in the glory days. That's because they never found that peace, they never found that purpose; and that's to give back, to inspire. That's to inspire the Henry Cejudo who had no wrestling shoes growing up. That's to say, ‘Hey man, you're pretty tough, you're pretty good. Let me take you under my wing.' That's my purpose in life.

So you've found that purpose?

I found that purpose. For a while, I didn't. I won the Olympics. ‘Me, me, me! I got my shoe out! I got my book out!' It's not about that. That stuff will fade away. You'll be history in the next four years; probably like I am now.

Have you set yourself up financially?

Yeah. I've been blessed. I've been rolling my money into real estate. I have a couple businesses here and there. So I think on that side, I'm pretty set. I used my business to leverage my free time to go out and talk to schools. To talk to kids or adults or whomever it may be; anybody that needs helps. That's why I try to leverage my time. I want to try to become successful in business so that I can do everything that I can for free. It's been working out pretty good.

Could you see yourself coaching once you get your degree?

I'll just be a life coach. Like I told you guys before, it's beyond wrestling with me. I'm here to feed the masses.

What will you miss most about competition?

The jitters. You go out there and you feel weak. I feel so strong before I wrestle then you get out there and it's like, ‘Whoa, my knees are a little weak.' It's not so much that; it's the whole journey of the sport. There's no greater sport. I'll say that and I'll mean that. I boxed for three years. I boxed against some of the best pros that the U.S. had to offer. There's just nothing like wrestling. There's nothing like it.

You were prepared for this moment, but is it still a shock to the system?

It is what it is. I fell. I fell but yet I succeeded. I'm not going to hold this against myself, or anybody. I did my best and I tried. There's four gold medalists that are supposed to be here – or three – and I'm the only one that showed up, after a three year retirement. It is what it is. I love you guys. Don't feel sorry for me. There's much more to Henry than athletics. There's much more.