A San Gabriel Valley native who wore the Sam the Eagle costume said the last LA Olympics were 'life-transformative' for him.
A San Gabriel Valley native who wore the Sam the Eagle costume said the last LA Olympics were"life-transformative" for him."It looks like they added more seats because the track was bigger. It was much bigger,” Robles recalled while gazing out at the stadium.Then again, to a wide-eyed 20-year-old with the opportunity of a lifetime, everything probably looked a lot bigger July 28, 1984.
“I came out, and I was on the track immediately. And there were young ladies all on the field with balloons," described Robles.He came out dressed as Sam the Eagle front and center at the opening ceremony of the 1984 Olympic Games. So how did a young man from the San Gabriel Valley come to be one of the few to don the iconic LA 84 mascot? "A lot of people were talking about doom and gloom that we weren't ready; the traffic would be horrible; get out of town,” Robles recalled. “I was 20 years old, and I listened to that. Then I thought, ‘Well, you know what? Instead, I'm going to get involved and be in it, and then I won't feel those effects.""I donned the costume, and something changed.
"There's something about being the host city that the world is coming to your doorstep. You’re playing host to the entire world,” He explained. “I would recommend to anybody, no matter what age, get involved. And don't leave town. Stay. It will be life-transformative, and it was for me."
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