[Congressional Record Volume 168, Number 124 (Tuesday, July 26, 2022)]
[House]
[Pages H7077-H7078]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                         HONORING LEE ESPINOZA

  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The Chair recognizes the gentleman from 
California (Mr. Ruiz) for 5 minutes.
  Mr. RUIZ. Madam Speaker, I rise today to celebrate Coachella Valley's 
very own, Librado ``Lee'' Espinoza, an icon, a legend in the boxing 
ring, and an inspiration to us all.
  From picking peanuts in the fields of Michoacan, Mexico, to training 
world-renowned boxers on the national stage, Lee is a fighter.
  The owner of the Coachella Valley Boxing Club, Lee is truly the 
godfather of boxing in the valley. He has trained world champions and 
put Coachella on the map for producing some of the best boxers in the 
game.
  Born in 1949, in La Piedad, Michoacan, Lee's success stems from his 
humble beginnings. In his early years, he worked on his father's farm, 
picking peanuts alongside his grandfather. After the devastating loss 
of his father, Lee eventually moved to the U.S. with his mother, where 
they lived in Coachella and, later, Tulare. Ultimately, Lee settled 
back in Coachella in the Coachella Valley, where he married his wife, 
June, and worked as a foreman installing irrigation systems.
  Together, June and Lee had four children: Vince, Luis, Reuben, and 
Candy. It was his son Reuben whose interest in boxing and winning big 
trophies opened the door for Lee to become the coach that he is today. 
Lee took Reuben to the Indio Boys and Girls Club every day after work 
to train with his coach, Lalo Gutierrez, who, in turn, taught him the 
ways of coaching.
  When Lee took over coaching for Lalo, he formed a boxing club that 
competed successfully against others throughout southern California and 
Arizona.
  While training in a cramped, single room in Indio, Lee's steadfast 
dedication as a coach shined through in the success of the athletes he 
guided both inside and outside the ring.
  His first professional fighter, Francisco ``Pancho'' Segura, fought 
twice for the International Boxing Federation world featherweight title 
and competed in the 1984 Olympic tryouts.
  Even when Pancho decided it was time to retire, Lee helped him find a 
job so that he could take care of his family. You see, that is the 
thing about Lee. When he is in your corner, you know that he is going 
to do everything that he can to help you succeed. In the ring and out 
of the ring, he is truly a caring man, a man of character with a lion's 
heart of gold.

[[Page H7078]]

  In 1985, he officially opened the Coachella Valley Boxing Club in an 
old fire station next to Coachella City Hall. What started as a club 
with six kids quickly grew to 50.
  Over the years, he has trained outstanding athletes like Sandra 
``Sandy'' Yard, who won two International Female Boxing Association 
world titles; Randy Caballero, an International Boxing Federation World 
Champion; the Diaz brothers, Joel, Jesus, Antonio, and Julio, each of 
whom won national titles and competed before international audiences; 
and Jocelyn Camarillo, from Indio, who won the 2021 USA Boxing National 
Championships.
  For Pancho, Sandy, Randy, the Diaz brothers, Jocelyn, and countless 
others he has trained, Lee's mentorship did more than help them triumph 
in the ring. His relentless devotion to their growth laid the 
foundation for their long-term success.
  Through his own success and his own stories, he has given the 
athletes that he has trained someone to look up to and something to 
fight for. His contributions to our communities have shaped our 
valley's history and left a lasting mark on the sport of boxing.
  In fact, he has been inducted into the California Boxing Hall of Fame 
and the West Coast Boxing Hall of Fame for all that he has achieved.
  Growing up in Coachella, I was personally inspired by Lee and his 
grit, determination, and work ethic. I looked up to Lee because I knew 
he was making a difference in our humble farmworker community.
  It is my hope that by telling his story here today and recording it 
in our Nation's history, athletes across the country and future 
generations will also be inspired and will feel that same sense of hope 
that he has given to many of us in our valley and across the Nation.

                          ____________________