THE 5 MOST PROMINENT LATINO ATHLETES
OSCAR DE LAHOYA
( Promoter)
Oscar De la Hoya is one of the greatest figures to ever come out from East Los Angeles. He is known as the ‘ Golden Boy’ after winning the gold medal at the Barcelona Olympics in 1992. In 1995, De la Hoya was named the Fighter of the Year by The Ring magazine. He won 17 world championships during his illustrious career. He is boxer with the most Pay Per View earnings with a total of $ 696million dollars during his career.
ALBERT PUJOLS
( Angels)
Albert Pujols is one the biggest superstars in baseball. He is the only player in history to have a batting average of at least .300, 30 home runs, and 100 RBIs in his first 10 seasons. The Dominican Republic native is also the first player to accumulate 500 doubles in his first 12 seasons in MLB. He also has his own non- profit organization, the Pujols Family Foundation, which helps people in his native country by providing them with medical and dental assistance.
ADRIAN GONZALEZ
( LA Dodgers )
Adrian González joined the LA Dodgers in 2012 and is the most successful Mexican baseball player in MLB. Hemade four All- Star teams from 2008- 2011, has won the Silver Slugger Award, and also the Rawlings Gold Glove Award in three occasions. He hasmade important contributions to local organizations, including toy donations to children in East Los Angeles. He also offers scholarships through his newly Adrian Gonzalez Scholarship Foundation.
BRENDA VILLA
( US Water Polo)
Brenda Villa is the most decorated water polo player in the history of the sport. She was part of the US Women’s National Team from1998 until 2012. She won the gold medal with the US in the 2012 Olympics in London as the team captain. Villa joined efforts to create Project 2020, which prepares kids for the national team or college level by 2020. She created the Brenda Villa Aquatic Center in Commerce, which offers water polo programs for children of low- income families.
OMAR GONZALEZ
( LA Galaxy)
Omar Gonzalez was drafted in 2009 by the LA Galaxy and has been an important part of the club ever since, winning back to back championships with the club in 2011 and 2012. He played with the US Men’s National Team at the 2014 FIFA World Cup held this past summer in Brazil. He has offered numerous soccer clinics at the Children’s Institute of Los Angeles and has also done community work with autistic children. He often visits patients at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles.