ST RAPHAEL
SCHOOL ASSEMBLY “Jump Rope for Heart” TO INCLUDE Boxer and Member of the 1996 US Olympic Team David Diaz and Ms. Vejurnaé
Leal Wide Receiver /Cornerback for the Chicago Bliss football team
NAPERVILLE,
IL –
Monday January 27, 2014, St. Raphael School will kick off “Jump Rope for
Heart” at an all school assembly
starting at approximately 10:15am. The assembly will include participation from
Boxer and Member of the 1996 US Olympic Team David Diaz and Ms. Vejurnaé Leal Wide
Receiver /Cornerback for the Chicago Bliss football team
David Diaz is boxer in the lightweight (135 lb) division. His
record is 36-4-1 (17 KOs).
Member of the 1996 US Olympic Team as a Light Welterweight.
Find out what's happening in Napervillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
His results were:
Defeated fan favorite Zab Judah (United States) twice within 8 days.
Defeated Jacobo
Garcia (Virgin Islands) RSC 3 (0:33)
Find out what's happening in Napervillewith free, real-time updates from Patch.
Lost to Oktay Urkal
(Germany) 6-14
Amateur: Won Chicago Golden Gloves four times and the
National Golden Gloves three times
Professional: won 36 (KO 17) + lost 4 (KO 3) + drawn 1 =
41 rounds boxed 264 KO% 41.46
World: WBC Lightweight
Title
His
last boxing match took place at the Venue at Horseshoe Casino, Hammond, IN,
United States in 2011, against Henry Lundy, where he lost the battle. David
Diaz is now considered to be one of the few lightweight boxers to have fought
with such sound names in the sport as Humberto Soto, Robert Frankel, Erik
Morales, Jesus Chavez, and of course, Manny Pacquiao.
Vejurnaé Leal (born January 30th,
1986) is a former Wide Receiver and Cornerback for the Chicago Bliss football
team in the Legends Football League.
Leal grew up in Evanston, Illinois where she fostered a great love for
all sports and competition. Vejurnaé was
a premature baby and grew up with a myriad of complications, including an
irregular heart beat and asthma, but that never stopped her. As a youngster she
was the spunky girl playing basketball, football, and ‘Piggy’ at the park with
all the guys. At the age of 16, prior to
her sophomore year of high school basketball, doctors were able to detect a
heart murmur. Shortly after the
diagnosis, she had her second open heart surgery. Following this surgery, she came back
stronger and was able to return to the Varsity softball and basketball teams
the next season. Vejurnaé attended the University of Illinois at Urbana
Champaign where she majored in Sociology, with a concentration in Sports
Management.
Following
college Vejurnaé began her marketing career with Marketing Werks, specializing
in Multicultural Sponsorship. This
position allowed her to travel the country activating events for various
companies including a partnership with the NFL.
In 2010, during and NFL Pre-Draft Party Vejurnaé was able to meet one of
her childhood idols, former San Francisco 49ers Wide Receiver, Jerry Rice. He advised her that if she wanted to play
tackle football she should definitely go for it. Back
at home, Vejurnaé was still involved in CBL, a very competitive co-ed flag
football league, but the thought of playing on a bigger stage always intrigued
her. She tried out for the Chicago Bliss
in 2011 and made the team at the Wide Receiver and Cornerback positions. A week after the start in the game against
Minneapolis she was rushed to the hospital with chest pains. Vejurnaé underwent her third heart surgery 2
days after being diagnosed with an aortic aneurysm. Following this surgery, she was still able to
comeback and train for the next season.
With her unrelenting determination she was able to win a starting
position on the team. During the 2013 season the Chicago Bliss won the Legends
Football League Championship.
Currently,
Vejurnaé lives in Chicago and remains active with the CBL Football League,
serves as an independent marketing consultant, and she will soon be creating
women’s football clinics. She is
ultimately focused on fostering an environment where women and girls can be
empowered by athletics, more in-tune with their health, and sharing her message
of perseverance with the world.
