"Termite" Watkins

Looking for an inspirational speaker? We found a former world title contender, car salesman in Houston Texas, a pest exterminator in Baghdad, and a boxing coach of Iraq Olympic contenders who became a one man promoter of the people of Iraq's fight for freedom It is hardly any wonder that Maurice "Termite" Watkins will be coming to a cinema screen near you soon telling the true and inspirational story of one Christian American and one Iraqi Muslim and the road to the Olympics.

JarboBayouTimes.com caught up with him at CCRW's club in League City along with Texas State Representative Larry Taylor of District 24 and Mayor Pro-Tem of Kemah, Kelly Williams for a photo op.

His web site is at http://www.termitewatkins.com

Read some of the press links on his web site to learn a bit more about Termite Watkins and what he has accomplished.

Here is a brief except from his biography book:

Termite, flanked by two machine-gunned soldiers, pulled into the Baghdad soccer stadium to meet his new boxing team. Twenty-four Iraqi boxers, many without shoes, awaited his arrival, this chance for an opportunity to be on an Olympic team. As mortars went off blocks away, he watched them spar in their impromptu try-out. Lacking even mouthpieces and headgear, blood was spilled quickly in their desperate attempts to catch the eye of the American coach. Termite’s heart broke for them – these proud boxers with ripped gloves who wanted to represent the New Iraq. Out of condition and rusty on fundamentals, he nevertheless told the Arabic television stations covering the event, “The Iraqi boxers have huge hearts. They will make the country of Iraq proud.” Looking straight into the television camera, Termite announced the slogan for these new fighters. With a raised fist, he shouted, “Iraq is back!”

Termite Watkins achieved the impossible. When asked by a coalition leader what the chances were of getting an Iraqi team into the Olympics, Termite was honest, “One chance in a million.” He took that one chance and made it happen.

The newly released book, Termite, by Suzy Pepper details the obstacles this bold Texan overcame to see Iraq in the Olympics. It is the story of a boy who was terrible at everything who became a national Golden Gloves champ at just sixteen. It is the story of a man who felt the pain of losing a world title fight. Most importantly, it tells of man who refused to give up on a ragtag group of Iraqi boxers. The dreams of this team that he loved were now his, and he made it happen.

Ask and ye shall receive. ;)

Well hopefully I can get him to join up on FR and post more of his exploits here. The Iraqi boxer that he trained in order to compete in the 2004 Olympics is in need of some help to get a student visa to come to Houston to study for his Masters in Computer Science (yes, a boxer that is smart too) at the University of Houston.

Apparently the bureaucrats at the US State Dept. reneged on a promise to let him come to the US to study after he represented postwar Iraq at the 2004 Olympics. Termite has been trying to get the White House and others to help him bring this courageous fighter to the US.

In case it isn't obvious, these Iraqi Olympian boxer is a high value target of the bad guys over in Iraq, since he is a symbol of hope for the Iraqi people. The loyalty of his village is the only thing keeping him alive now.

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