Olympian Manny Huerta's Volcano
Manny Huerta, a Cuban-American refugee who fled to the US with his mother at the age of 13, crossed the finish line at the ITU San Diego World Series race in 9th place, earning a spot on the American Olympic team. I stayed up late to watch the race, and the camerman caught the significance of the moment, eschewing on opportunity to film the race leader slapping backs and shaking hands to walk over and catch Huerta’s reaction. You could hear this incredible release of emotion as Huerta hugged his coach, his fellow athletes, and the other Americans in the race. It was that deep, gutteral sobbing that only comes out during raw, unfettered release of emotion. I haven’t found a good video of it yet, but Huerta spent the next half hour sprinting back and forth in front of the crowd waving an enormous American flag. Here is his story. See you in London, Manny.
