‘It made everything worth it.’ Valley boxer lives Olympic dream after COVID nearly ruined it
Richard Torrez Jr. thought his Olympic dreams had been destroyed in 2020.
The International Olympic Committee eventually chose to call off the Tokyo Games last summer, seemingly the only decision that could be made as the coronavirus ravaged the U.S., Japan and pretty much every other country in the world.
Wait until 2024? For most athletes, just being selected to represent your nation is a worthy feat. It often represents a rare combination of being at peak physical condition while also turning in some of the best performances of your life to meet the various qualifying standards.
In four years, that window easily could slam shut.
The Tulare native turned to his dad, Richard, who reminded him his wait might not be that long. The IOC and Tokyo organizing committee had left open the possibility that, if COVID-19’s spread had eased enough, they would try to stage the Games the following year.
“My dad said just wait because they postponed and they didn’t cancel it ... just keep doing your thing and work hard,” he recalls of the father-son talk.
“That is the only thing I can do. One of the biggest things that I do when I’m upset or don’t know what is going on is I go work out. That kind of worked to my benefit, I guess. I just put my nose to the grindstone and started working harder.”
Sure enough, the wait is over for the Mission Oak High grad. He will making that delayed trip to Tokyo, and represent Team USA as a super heavyweight in the Olympic boxing tournament.
USA Boxing last month announced Torrez as one of the first six U.S. boxers to qualify for the Tokyo Games.
“To call myself an Olympian, it made everything worth it,” said Torrez, who turned 22 on June 1.
There were options for Torrez. He gave some thought to realigning his preparation toward a 2024 Summer Games bid. But he also considered going to college or maybe even turning pro.
“All these things kind of were playing to my mind and then I remembered my true goal and that is to be an Olympian,” he said. “I ran around when I was 8 years old saying I was going to be an Olympian on the playground. I didn’t say I was going to be a WBC world champion. That is great and everything, but my dream has always been the Olympics and luckily we didn’t have to find out what I would’ve done next. I’m really excited to say I’m fulfilling my dream.”
Countdown to USA boxing camp, flight to Japan
Torrez, after spending the past two weeks in the central San Joaquin Valley, is headed Tuesday to Colorado Springs, Colo., to begin training camp.
USA Boxing eventually will fly its contingent out to Misaki, Japan for a two-week acclimation period before heading on to Tokyo. The Summer Games begin July 23 and run through Aug. 8.
The Boxing Task Force announced 49 Olympic quota spots — including the six that went to the Americans. Originally, the spots were to be awarded at an Americas Olympic Qualifier in Argentina.
Torrez is the second Valley boxer to represent Team USA in the past three Games after Avenal native Jose Ramirez did so in 2012. Ramirez has since turned pro, winning a pair of championship belts before losing by decision to Josh Taylor in a junior welterweight title-unification bout in May in Las Vegas.
Torrez, who will be the first U.S. boxer to compete in the men’s super heavyweight division at the Olympics since the 2012 London Games, said he will be thinking about everyone who has been in his corner, literally and figuratively, since he was a youth.
“I’m taking everyone with me,” he said. “I feel like everyone that interacted with me and everyone who helped me along the way, whether it is family, teachers, friends, my community, makes me who I am. I’m taking the Valley with me.
“I like to say that my future must think I’m asleep because I’m currently living the dream.”
This story was originally published June 1, 2021 at 11:41 AM with the headline "‘It made everything worth it.’ Valley boxer lives Olympic dream after COVID nearly ruined it."
