Aneudi Santos is riding high in the boxing ring, but his feet are planted firmly on the ground. Read on about how he balances books and title bouts.
Boxing and schoolbooks are an odd mix, but 21-year-old Aneudi Santos hits one just as hard as the other.
He has an impressive professional boxing record of 11 wins, six knockouts and only one loss. Even more impressive is that he’s a junior at Hofstra University on a full scholarship, with a 3.0 grade-point average.
Santos chatted with The Post about how he maintains his academic and athletic balancing act.
Just how did he get started in boxing?
“I came to this country from the Dominican Republic when I was 11. I didn’t know anything. There was nothing to do and I was bored, so I asked my uncle, who was a fighter, to take me to the gym with him,” he said.
“I fought my first fight at 12. I knew nothing about boxing, but I beat the guy anyway. That’s when I knew I wanted to fight. It was the Junior Olympics and I won the whole tournament.”
Santos turned heads as an amateur fighter, with 46 wins and only four losses. He won a New York Golden Gloves championship in 1999.
“I’m a street fighter and I’m fearless. I don’t watch boxing tapes. I check out my opponent in the first round then go in and finish the job,” he said.
When he’s not hitting the competition, he’s hitting the books. His studies include math, English, music and biology. He’s majoring in Spanish and hopes to be a Spanish teacher.
“I’ve got a plan A and a plan B. Boxing is plan A,” he said. “I’m going to try to be a world champion, but it’s a short career – about 10 years. If it doesn’t work, I’ll have my other career. I want to let other kids know that you can do two things. That’s what I’m doing. If boxing doesn’t work, I can go and teach and still make good money.”
What’s a typical day like for Aneudi Santos?
“I get up around 6 in the morning. I work out and get my 45-minute run in,” he said. “I have to be in class from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. From 4 to 7 or 8 p.m., I’m at the gym working out. Then I come home and do my homework. I go to sleep sometimes at 3 or 4 in the morning. I only get three or four hours of sleep, but that’s my life.”
What keeps him going?
“I promised my father that I was coming to this country for a better life. One day, I want to have my own house and buy my parents a house. I have to take every opportunity that I can. I don’t care that I don’t get enough sleep, but one day I’m going to have what I want and that’s the bottom line,” Santos said.
With his impressive record in the ring and in the classroom, there’s no doubt that this determined young man will stay the course and achieve his dreams. He’s an inspiration to all around him and we wish him good luck.
Today’s lesson fulfills the following New York standards: E1c, E2d E3c E3d E4a E4b E5a Social Studies Standard 1
Today’s story is a lesson about the rewards of hard work. Write an essay about someone you know who works hard to be successful at more than one thing.
Have a class discussing about your future goals. What will you do to achieve them?
Look through today’s paper for stories about people who have made great accomplishments. How can their stories encourage others?