Yahoo Finance Sugar Ray Leonard Reflects on 'Amazing' Olympic Victory, Reveals He's Let Friends Try on His Medal
Paul Archuleta/Getty Sugar Ray Leonard
Iconic boxer Sugar Ray Leonard is more than happy to take a walk down memory lane when it comes to his Olympic glory.
Leonard, now 65, won the gold medal in light welterweight boxing at the 1976 Olympic Games in Montreal.
"Words cannot describe the feeling that I had," Leonard tells PEOPLE of the Games while chatting about his ongoing Skechers partnership and their Skechers Arch Fit line.
Leonard, who has been inducted into the International Boxing Hall of Fame, says when he traveled to Canada to compete in 1976, it was the first time he'd been away from home for that long.
"I was nervous as heck," he admits, before adding, "I was so proud of myself. I wanted to go home, but I wanted to stay to bring home the gold medal first. It was just an amazing point in my life. I was like 20 years old and when I look back, that's been like eons. 50 years ago."
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Continues Leonard: "But it's the most precious moment in my career, in my life. I never forget that moment. Representing myself, representing my country. And it wasn't about fame and fortune."
Leonard now keeps his gold medal locked up tight in a safety deposit box, but he says he's allowed it to grace other people's necks on rare occasions.
"When some friends or just individuals come over sometimes I'll show it, let them take a picture of it around their neck, 'Here you go. You get one around your neck,' " the former athlete tells PEOPLE.
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His campaign with Skechers, which includes two new commercials for the Arch Fit, will launch this fall. He says the partnership with the footwear brand has been "wonderful."
Skechers Sugar Ray Leonard for Skechers
Of the Arch Fit sneakers, he says, "I wear them all the time for the arch support, especially on days I know I'll be on my feet for a while. Skechers can make all the difference, especially to your walking routine."
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Now, Leonard is keeping active at home so he can stay ready for play with his grandkids, and he'll be tuning in when Team USA takes Tokyo for the 2021 Summer Games next month.
Of the advice he'd give the new Olympians, Leonard says, "I tell them 100% to believe in themselves because if they don't, no one else will. This is your opportunity, this is their chance for success, stardom, and accomplishment. People can say I was a world boxing champion professionally, but when people say I'm an Olympic gold medalist, that speaks volumes. That is precious. There is no amount of money that can pay for that. You can't pay for it. You have to deserve that. You have to go for that."
