Felix Sanchez, 2004 and 2012 Olympic Champion visited Lawrence
Felix Sanchez, track and field athlete from the Dominican Republic, Olympic champion in Athens in 2004 and in 2012 in London in the discipline of 400 hurdles, considered the greatest athlete in the history of the Dominican Republic visited the city of Lawrence on Friday, March 28, 2014.
His first stop was at Lawrence High School, where he was received by a concentration of students from different schools giving him a warm welcome. Some students carrying Dominican flags were later invited to join the athlete on stage for a special photo-op.
Sanchez was born in New York, the son of Dominican immigrants. As a child he went to live with his mother and grandmother in San Diego, California, where he grew up dreaming of being a major baseball leaguer like many other Dominicans but his coach convinced him he should try track and field, Sanchez told the students and being interrupted several times by spontaneous ovations.
His second visit was to City Hall, where Mayor Daniel Rivera was waiting for him to give him the key of the city. “I’m new at this and this is the first key I give away,” said the Mayor, who is also Dominican to the athlete between smiles and handshakes.
In the afternoon he made another visit, this time he met students of the Lawrence Family Development Charter School, located at 34 West Street where he also spoke to the students, posing for pictures with the school’s running team. In the second part of the visit, organized by Casa Dominicana, the meeting was with the parents.
