Sonic the Hedgehog may be the fastest thing alive, but we can’t forget that Earth is home to some pretty darn fast humans as well. One of the greats is Leo Manzano, a two-time Olympian and silver medalist. I had a chance to speak with Leo, and in our discussions we talked about his career, his work, and of course, Sonic the Hedgehog.
Sonic the Hedgehog is out in theaters now!
Manzano: Okay. Yes. My name is Leo Manzano. I’m a two time Olympian and also a silver medalist.
LRM Online: Great. So to start with, former Olympian, how do you hold that title?
Manzano: Wow. Well, first of all and foremost, I always hold it with a lot of pride and a lot of joy. It’s one of those things that I ran and competed for 20 years. So many great things came about it, including being able to inspire and also mentor a few young athletes and people along the way. So I hope and I think that I hold it very proudly.
LRM Online: Let’s talk about your start to achieving, in this case, your goal to the max. When did you know this is what you wanted to do? Be an athlete, for starters.
Manzano: Well, you know, it wasn’t something that I quite knew coming from a very humble beginning. My parents were originally from Guanajuato, Mexico, a very rural farming community. They immigrated to the United States when I was four and I ended up growing up, I grew up in Marble Falls, Texas, a small town in Texas. And I just had a joy and desire to run and to be outside, to be outdoors. And it was one of those things that the next thing I know, I started becoming pretty good at it and I didn’t quite know at the time what running was. Including, I actually had made, right about the age of 13 I had to make a deal with my dad because he thought I was being lazy and just wasting my time. And he’s like, “You know, why don’t you find a job? Go get work doing something else because you’re wasting your time running.”
So about age 13 I made a deal with him, and the deal was that if he allowed me to join the cross country team, that I would help him with household expenses in the summer. And so he agreed and here we are.
LRM Online: The irony, he said you were being lazy, but in reality you were running.
Manzano: You know, I was running. I was running, you know, during that time. And it’s one of those things that unfortunately sometimes is, you know, Hispanic, Latino, they don’t quite understand sports. They see sports as something so far away. And so a bit unnatural, something that you do on the weekends, or on your past time, and you know, or something that you see on TV. But never imagined that one day, you know, their son would be participating in at the Olympic games.
LRM Online: Mm-hmm (affirmative). So where were your dad’s words when those medals started coming in?
Manzano: I don’t think he quite knew. You know, I don’t think my dad quite knew what to think because it was still none of my family had ever had any types or any of those types of experiences really getting out and getting into the community and having so much support from everywhere. You know, now my Latinos have always been very supportive. But also, you know, I did grow up in the United States and people everywhere have been always just very, very supportive.
LRM Online: So we’re here because we are, you know, there’s a promotion of Sonic the Hedgehog. So, and it’s all about speed.
Manzano: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
LRM Online: What was your experience growing up with Sonic?
Manzano: Yeah. You know, I mean I definitely remember playing the video game. You know, and even I also have a seven-year-old and he always says I want to be fast like Sonic the Hedgehog. So, and I think as you know, every kid like looking back, you know, like you put on your shoes and you want to run and you want to race and you want to be the fastest. And so those are more or less my experiences with Sonic the Hedgehog.
LRM Online: So can you explain your experience as a kid with it?
Manzano: Yeah. You know, I do remember being young and whether it was me I never owned a video game console, but I had a lot of friends that did. And so on occasion I would go over and I would play the, I think it was the Sega Genesis during that time.
LRM Online: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
Manzano: And I remember playing the game. So, but you know, I think it goes deeper and more beyond that. Right? I mean, I think that now being in my position, I’ve been very, very fortunate and you know, that all the work in my past has given a lot of fruit and now I get to come back and support events like this. You know, we’re at the East LA Rising Youth Center and you know, as we know that there are underprivileged kids here. And you know, the biggest thing is like, hey, how do we support them? How do we guide them? And you know, how can we mentor them so that they also have better opportunities and so that way their future does look brighter?
LRM Online: Mm-hmm (affirmative). So what would you tell your… Why would you say to those kids now that are kind of in your situation, where you were when you were young? Where a lot of like parents, and I’m not just going to care guys, Hispanic parents, because even some Asian cultures and you know, other cultures feel the same way. Where they feel like a sport or an art is not exactly going to take you anywhere. It’s not really going to make you, give you a strong career. What would you say to those kids that are like really trying to like stand out and be like, but this is my passion?
Manzano: Yes. I think first and foremost I think you have to have that internal belief in yourself. When you have that internal belief in yourself, it’s almost like nothing is really impossible. Yes. Well, are things difficult? Yes, they can be difficult and they can be hard, right?
LRM Online: Mm-hmm (affirmative).
Manzano: But depending on the path that you choose. But if you choose a certain path or passion in your life and you follow it, I think the chances of you being really happy and always doing what you love and enjoy, I mean are just tremendous. And so it’s almost like for me, you know, I’ve… Looking back and I got, I always got to do what I’ve loved and enjoyed and that’s brought me and opened up so many doors and opportunities. So on that note, I would say, hey, believe in yourself. Follow your passions. Follow your dreams.
LRM Online: So looking back at your childhood and your start, what’s the one thing besides the stuff you’ve said that you would tell your younger self?
Manzano: I would say, you know, again, believe in myself. I would also say to also have a plan on how to achieve your goals and look at them, or write them down every day, or have a list of your goals and have it pasted somewhere where you can see them every day. And definitely, you know, like look at them every day and always think about how you can achieve those goals.
LRM Online: Getting a little personal, if you don’t mind–
Manzano: Yes.
LRM Online: You did retire-
Manzano: I did, yes. Yes.
LRM Online: Recently. How was that? Because coming to acceptance that something you love and you’ve been doing for so many years that it’s like you got to, it comes to an end, a phase. And how did that… How did you handle it?
Manzano: Yeah, well you know, like thinking about it, it was very hard. But it’s also a decision. There was so many things involved. It wasn’t just one thing. Right? I mean it started off with me getting hurt. It kind of came around with me trying to come back from getting hurt. Unfortunately, my body has not, wasn’t able to come back at its potential. And at that point I also know that there are also younger athletes with their potential and that the way that the sport is evolving is everybody’s getting better and better. Right? So another thing too is you have to be very realistic.
And also I also have a seven year old at home. And you know, I’ve also realized that perhaps I wasn’t spending enough time with him because I was always on the road and always gone. And so on that note, it was just a combination of things and not just one thing. But on that note it’s, I have accepted it. And I’ve been so blessed and I am so grateful because I am still, even though I’m perhaps not on the track running competitively, I still get to do events like this and still am able to give back and continue to be in the sport outside of the sport and not in competitive running anymore but still giving back in another way.
LRM Online: So today I know you do a lot of giving back, in this case, a lot of time and charity. Can you tell me about the charities you’re involved in?
Manzano: Yeah, so I… Oh my goodness. So we-
LRM Online: Long list.
Manzano: Yeah, so we do do a lot. You know, I right now, I work also with a company called Hoka One One and we have a few initiatives that are going to be based, more or less aimed at our youth. Again, it’s going to be projects very similar to this where we actually go and we also give. And we highlight certain teams that are also right about the same perhaps background as myself and also giving them the opportunities to have spikes, and apparel, and certain running items so that they can also go pursue their running goals. The thing about running is it has opened up so many opportunities for me. Just looking back in my life and running has been so good for so many ways and so many reasons.
So yeah, running, it’s just been amazing. It’s opened up so many opportunities. You know, it gave me an opportunity to go to school. It gave me an opportunity to graduate from a university or college. You know, I was, I became a professional athlete through running. It also, it’s given me an opportunity to help my family, to bring them along as well and help them get their college educations. It’s given me an opportunity to continue giving back to the kids and continue inspiring them.
So it’s been so many amazing things that have come from running. And so on that note, I’m just so grateful and I hope that I can continue giving back to the sport that has given me so much.
LRM Online: That’s lovely. That’s actually really nice that your… Everything you received, you’re like taking out there for the community.
Manzano: Well, it’s, you know, I think at the end of the day, we all have to be very grateful for what we have, for what we’re given. And if the world, if the universe has been very giving to you, I think we all have a responsibility to give back.
Sonic the Hedgehog is out in theaters now!
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