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THANK YOU SO MUCH.
IF YOU'RE ALL WONDERING, I HAD A HIP REPLACEMENT AND THAT'S WHY IT'S SO DIFFICULT FOR ME
TO WALK.
BUT I HAD TO BE HERE TONIGHT BECAUSE, WOW, LIKE OUT OF ALL THE TITLES THAT I'VE WON IN MY
CAREER, I THINK I'M MOST PROUD OF THIS ONE.
[APPLAUSE ]
THANK YOU.
I WANT TO THANK MARVIN SOUTHARD, WITH THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH FOR ALL THAT HE'S
DONE AND ALL OF HIS HARD WORK.
AND SAMHSA AND THE VOICE AWARDS, THANK YOU SO MUCH.
I'M SORRY, I NEVER PREPARE A SPEECH.
I CAN'T REMEMBER ANYTHING ANYWAY.
IT'S A BOXER'S MEMORY, SO.
I JUST TALK FROM THE HEART, BUT.
YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO ADMIT THAT, YOU KNOW, BOXING SAVED MY LIFE.
BECAUSE I REALLY, HONESTLY BELIEVED THAT I WOULD HAVE ENDED UP IN JAIL HAD IT NOT BEEN
FOR BOXING.
BUT SOMEWHERE IN THE MIDST OF MY CAREER I REALIZED THAT, YOU KNOW THERE JUST HAD TO BE
SOMETHING MORE OUT THERE FOR ME.
I REFUSED TO BELIEVE THAT MY SOLE PURPOSE ON THIS EARTH WAS TO BEAT THE CRAP OUT OF
ANOTHER HUMAN BEING.
I WANTED TO BELIEVE THAT WHAT I CALL GOD, FOR LACK OF A BETTER NAME, MY HIGHER POWER, PUT
ME ON THIS EARTH, FOR SO MUCH MORE.
I HAD A GREATER PURPOSE.
AND THAT PURPOSE WAS TO SPEAK OUT ON BEHALF OF KIDS LIKE MYSELF.
CHICANAS, LIKE MYSELF THAT GREW UP DRUG ADDICTED, ALCOHOLICS, THAT SUFFERED FROM MENTAL
ILLNESS, HOMELESSNESS, WHATEVER.
AND WE ALL HAVE A STORY.
EVERY ONE OF US HAS A STORY, JUST LIKE MYSELF.
THE POINT IS, NO MATTER WHERE YOU CAME FROM OR WHAT YOU SUFFERED FROM, YOU CAN DO
ANYTHING YOU WANT.
WHETHER IT'S TO BECOME A CHAMPION BOXER OR AN EMMY AWARD WINNING ACTOR.
WHATEVER, YOU CAN DO IT.
AND THAT'S THE MESSAGE THAT I WANTED TO GIVE TO KIDS IS THAT WE HAVE NO LIMITS.
AND WE HAVE TO BELIEVE THAT.
JUST LIKE THAT SHOW "PERCEPTION." I HAD NEVER SEEN IT, BUT I WAS AMAZED BY THAT BECAUSE I
REALLY BELIEVED THAT -- I MEAN, WHAT IS REALITY?
REALITY IS SIMPLY HOW WE PERCEIVE THE WORLD, RIGHT?
MY REALITY IS CERTAINLY, I TELL YOU IS DIFFERENT THAN ANYBODY ELSE'S BECAUSE MY MOM
ALWAYS TOLD ME THAT LIKE THE BUDDHA SAID, WHAT I THINK I BECOME.
AND I TRULY BELIEVE THAT, THAT WHAT I THINK I BECOME.
AND IF I CAN DO IT, ANYONE CAN DO IT.
AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR BEING HERE TONIGHT AND THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR HONORING ME WITH
THIS AWARD.