Celebrate these Miami-born athletes who’ve accomplished incredible things last year
Miami-Born Athletes
There have been some incredible Miami-born athletes to come out of Miami across various sports and disciplines, and it’s almost impossible to keep them off track. From football and soccer to chess and gymnastics, there have been some wonderfully talented, hardworking, and brilliant athletes who’ve been changing the game--pun intended--for the better.
Let’s take a look at some of the most incredible sportsmen and women who’ve made an impact in their respective fields in 2021 and celebrate some of their many accomplishments. While this list is by no means exhaustive, it hopes to uplift and acknowledge all their hard work:
Udonis Haslem
Recently presented with the Hometown Hero Award at the 2021 SI Awards, Udonis Haslem is one of the most well-respected players in the NBA, which also ranked Miami Heat as one of their top teams. This Miami-born athlete is a basketball superstar who has been given this award for not only giving his all to his teammates on the court but also for serving the community and giving back in that regard. Thanking his parents, including his stepmother, Barbara, he expressed gratitude for the opportunity and the honor.
Angelica Delgado
Angelica Delgado is a Cuban-American Judoka who is on a quest for her second Olympic Games in Tokyo. Having competed in 2016 in Rio, she then set her sights on a second chance after having qualified for the Tokyo Olympics in the women’s 52 kg category. She talked about her training and preparation for the event and how she was eager to be competing just out of her undying love for the sport. It’s always amazing to see representation and people competing with determination like this!
Alejandro Sancho
Another Olympic competitor that is among the Miami-born athletes is Alejandro Sancho, a Specialist in the US Army and a member of the USA Team for Greco-Roman Wrestling. He has been wrestling alongside his career in the US Army as part of their World Class Athlete Program and credits his athletic ability, sense of discipline, and his achievements to his time in the army. Another reason we’re incredibly excited to see his success is due to his Cuban roots, much like Delgado.
Enjoying his exposure to combative sports from a very early age, he recognized that his parents played a major role in encouraging him to pursue that, and being an Olympic-level athlete was his dream for a long time. Sancho has not only represented Miami and the US at the Olympics but at several international and national level sporting events across the world.
Xavien Howard
In another incredible win for the Miami Dolphins, the team’s cornerback, Xavien Howard, was ranked one of the Top 100 players in the NFL. This is the second time Howard was ranked on the list, jumping from 55th in 2019 to 17th place in 2021, making us incredibly proud of his achievements.
If you’d like to know more about some incredible athletes who’ve been making waves and breaking barriers in the world of sport, check out this other article we wrote about women athletes!
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