Who is Rocky Marciano and why does he inspire Robyn?
PART 4 Rocky Marciano was a famous boxer who was born in 1923 and reigned as heavyweight boxing’s world champion from 1952 to 1956. Why has he inspired 16-year-old Robyn Strumpf? “He was the underdog,” she explains. “No one expected him to win because he was shorter than everyone else. He could triumph over that and not listen to what other people said and just follow his dreams with his determination. And he never gave up. He just worked and worked. He just gave it his all. Not 50%. He had to give 100%.” It is not surprising that Robyn took an award-winning photograph showing a fighter. The haunting image is in black and white, taken from the point of view of the fighter’s opponent. The fighter’s face is haggard and beaten, but a light shines there too. It tells the viewer that this person is not a quitter, that no matter what, he will fight until he wins. Her photo won the Gold Key Award in the National Scholastic Arts and Writing competition. Charlie Sitzer, Robyn’s photography teac
