Tony Gonzales has been knocked down many times in many different ways in his 42 years.
There were punches to his head when he was a contender. On the streets, when he was without a home and hallucinating, he fell into unconsciousness after injecting heroin.
Lesser fighters would have thrown in the towel. But on this morning, Gonzales will be back on his feet, a testament to perseverance, healing, and helping hands. He, in turn, has learned to assist others, giving them hope that they too can recover.
"I think of myself as so blessed, when I think about where I was," Gonzales said.
He works a 1 a.m.-9 a.m. shift at Catherine Lane, a home for a half-dozen mentally ill men and women in Grass Valley. A Christmas tree stood in the living room of the home, which is owned by Turning Point Providence Center, the nonprofit mental health care provider for Nevada County. Gonzales provides whatever residents might need, and makes sure they are safe.
"There is no better job than helping people," he said as his shift came to a close the other day. "All you have to do is be nice. How hard is that?"
Gonzales didn't know much about nice in his early life. He grew up in many places, Inglewood, San Diego, San Bernardino, and barely knew his father, who was in prison for selling drugs. He lived in foster homes, and a boyhood friend died in a drive-by shooting.
He also learned to fight. In the world of amateur boxing in the late 1980s and early 1990s, Gonzales stood out, becoming amateur flyweight champion in 1988, and amateur bantamweight champ in 1989.
In 1990, a news account in the Los Ángeles Times reported that two Southern California boxers were helping the North American team dominate Europeans in U.S. Olympic Cup competition. One was Óscar de la Hoya, who later became the great champion.
The other was Tony Gonzales.
Gonzales is confident he won't have a relapse, or take a dive by returning to drugs. The fighter has too much to lose. He has sons to help raise, and a job helping others who are down like he was.