Marvin Meldanadao, 26, visited Galway High School on Monday, September 17th.  He encouraged the members of the 10^th grade class to pursue their own fulfillment: “Follow your dreams all the way through.  Ignore the bad comments people make and focus on your dream.”

Meldanado began fighting in October of 2009.  Since then he has been in 9 large fights and lost 2.  Meldanado is known for his “superman punch,” when he kicks with his left knee, then lightly throws a right hook before finishing it off with a very quick and powerful left jab.

“The week before a fight is hard,” explained Meldanado.  “I hardly get to eat anything.”  He trains vigorously to stay in shape so he wins his matches.

Meldanado has always enjoyed boxing.  Even as a little boy he enjoyed watching matches with his father.  He puts a lot of effort into his training and works hard to maintain his never-say-quit attitude.

Meldanado explained, “Preparation is key.  You have to prepare in advance for everything in life if you want to succeed.”

Sophomores…comment below about your experience with the novel The Contender and/or how Meldanado’s talk helped you connect with the main character’s situation.