Learning & Teaching Tools For Perseverance

Perseverance Lesson Video Transcript

TITLE: Building a Community of Role Models with Richard Torrez Jr.

RICHARD TORREZ JR: Growing up in an athletic household was definitely a little challenging, but I really enjoyed it. Ever since I was a little kid, it was just my mom and my dad taking me out for runs. I grew up in the gym. That’s like my second home in the boxing gym. Through sport, my dad really wanted me to just be humble because no matter how good you get, no matter how tough you are, someone can hit you in the mouth. Someone can hit you and it will hurt, so it really is a humbling sport.

Another thing it teaches you is drive. So no matter what, I mean, there’s going to be some guy in there trying to compete with you, so it teaches you that you have to try just as hard or even harder.

My parents definitely define success as education. Both of my parents are teachers. My dad is actually a vice-principal now and my mom teaches adult education to local jails, and so everything is education first. I think my parents, most of all, have a better view of the big picture than I do. So I’m the one that takes a right now, here, win and losses pretty hard and my parents are the ones that are like, “Hey, calm down. You still have 2020. You still have this in the future. This isn’t the end game. This is just a battle, not the war.”

My dad’s my role model. Everything that he does, I wanted to do. And so, I mean, from the age of four, I remember watching the Pan-American Games with my dad, and now I’m going to the Pan-American Game qualifiers, so it’s like dreams coming true. So my family’s goals are my goals and I want to keep it like that.

I think it’s important for young athletes to find role models, or anybody to find a role model, because it gives you something to base yourself off of. It gets you someone where I want to be like them. If you never find that point, I feel like you’re going to be lost a little bit. In a lot of ways with my teachers, my coaches, and just role models in general, if I didn’t have my dad pushing me, if I didn’t have my teachers a hundred percent behind my back when I left for nationals, when I left for Golden championships, I might not have graduated high school. Without them, I mean, I wouldn’t know what I’d do.

It’s the little life lessons I’ve gotten from my coaches are never give up, always do your best, and when all else fails, just try. I’ve been in points where I got in football, like there’s no chance of winning. It’s 37 to zero and you’ve just got to go out there and give it all your all still. There’s no point in giving half best. There’s no point in doing half the work. It’s always all or nothing.

THE SIMPLE TRUTH: DECODING THE SUPPLEMENT INDUSTRY VIDEO TRANSCRIPT

At first glance, dietary supplements look the same. They seem safe and healthy, but just because the label says a product is a dietary supplement, that doesn’t mean it’s safe. Unfortunately, you can’t tell whether a product is safe or not just by looking at the label. Most vitamins, minerals, fish oil, and other supplements containing nutrients are probably just fine, but supplements are not evaluated or approved by FDA before they are sold. Although it is rare for vitamins or minerals to be contaminated with drugs, there has been at least one case of a vitamin containing an anabolic steroid.

At the other extreme are products that contain drugs, stimulants, anabolic steroids, or other hormones. Even though these are not technically dietary supplements, many of them are labeled as supplements. For example, body-building products sometimes contain anabolic steroids or Selective Androgen Receptor Modulators, known as SARMs, or other hormones. Some pre-workout or energy products contain illegal stimulants like DMAA, ephedra, or other amphetamine-like stimulants. Weight loss products might contain prescription drugs like sibutramine, or hormones, like human chorionic gonadotropin, also known as hCG. All natural or herbal sexual enhancement products might contain hormones or Viagra-like drugs. Products like these can harm your health and career, but they’re for sale online, in some nutrition stores, and they’re labeled as dietary supplements.

When you pick up a supplement, especially one that promises performance enhancement, you don’t know if it belongs in the “Mostly O.K.” pile or in the “Dangerous” pile. After all, two products might look the same, but one might contain just amino acids and other legitimate ingredients, while the other also contains anabolic steroids. Because of this, FDA has issued a warning about certain categories of supplements: body building products, weight loss products, and sexual enhancement products. Be extremely careful when considering a supplement in one of these categories. We strongly recommend that you avoid products in these categories.

Even when FDA tests supplements and finds dangerous ingredients, companies sometimes refuse to recall them. Sometimes, they simply repackage their product and continue selling it under a new name. Just because a product is on a store shelf doesn’t mean it is safe. You need to do your research and be an informed consumer. The dietary supplement industry is enormous. Supplements that appear to be safe could actually be dangerous products in disguise. If you use dietary supplements without doing your research, you may be taking serious risks with your health and your career. Please visit USADA’s Supplement 411 for more information about dietary supplements.