Just over one year ago, Fresno's Carlos Perez, Sr. looked in the mirror and realized he needed to make a change if he wanted to be the father he knew he could be.
"I'm getting older and he has all that energy. I've got a lot of boys and all of them have energy. So, I want to be able to hang around with them and keep up with them," Perez said.
So he brought his oldest children, 13-year-old Daniel and nine-year-old Carlos, to Fresno's Aleman Boxing Gym for to get himself into shape - "I came in here at 170. I got down all the way to 136," Perez said - and for his kids to make friends in a constructive environment.
The results have been remarkable.
"It boosts up their confidence if anything. They get here and they're not shy anymore. They have to go out and speak to people. And they've made a lot of friends out here," Perez said.
"We used to look at boxing a lot. My dad would always get happy if his fighter won. And once I started fighting, I like to see my dad get happy for me when I won," Daniel Perez said.
Daniel has fought in nine organized fights with his father - his biggest cheerleader.
"My dad was like the one who cheered the loudest and he's the only one I heard," Daniel said.
And over the July 4 weekend it was father switching roles with son, competing for the first time.
I got more excited when I started seeing my sons spar for the first time. I started getting more juiced up. Well if he can do it, I can you know?" Perez said.
"He looked like he got tired in there but afterwards he had the most energy out of everybody," Daniel Perez said.
And to top it off, the Perez family has turned boxing into a way to support, teach and love one another with no reservations.
"I get nervous every time he spars. I get more nervous when he's competing. I can't contain myself. I've got a lot of emotions when my son's fighting," Perez said.
Nerves: just another way to show pride from one Perez to another.
