Panamanian Slugger Carlos Lee and The Author

I am sure that I will catch a lot of heat about my selections of people in Panama that I admire. Do I care? Not really. For the most part, Panamanians are great people; there are also a lot of top notch foreigners here. I have been in Panama for a few years now and have also met my share of creeps. There are many foreigners here that make me cringe. There are also Panamanians that make me shake my head in astonishment.

Here is my list of people that I think are doing a great service for Panama:

“El Caballo” Carlos Lee

The Houston Astro’s left fielder is a native of Aguadulce in the province of Cocle. Lee was just 22 when he broke in to the majors with the Chicago White Sox. This very proud Panamanian is an extremely down to earth, humble guy. He owns 9 cattle ranches throughout Panama and spends as much time as possible in his home country. I was lucky enough to meet Carlos a couple of years ago, during Carnaval festivities in Aguadulce. You would expect this baseball superstar to be aloof and brush off his fans. Not the case. He was happy to have a photo taken with anyone who requested one (at 2 in the morning, with his wife and kids in tow, none the less!). As a life-long baseball fan, the above photo is a prized possession of mine. Carlos has not only been able to avoid the all too well known pitfalls of fame and fortune, but he is very generous in his home country.

Okke Ornstein

Okke is a very opinionated Dutchman who is not afraid to speak his mind. He gets a lot of heat for his “tell it like it is” writing style, including several brushes with death! When Okke’s original Panama info website, Noriegaville, went offline, I almost cried. Sure, I don’t agree with everything Okke says, but I am thankful that there is someone out there with enough cojones to voice their opinions and write about issues that many in mainstream media won’t touch. Okke has a following of die-hard fans, but also people that would be happy to never hear from him again. Love him or hate him, at least he’s got guts. You can find Okke’s new website here.

Rob Rivera

Rob is probably one of the funniest Panamanians I have ever met. His no-holds-barred opinions can be found on his website. Rob loves his country but also acknowledges where improvements can be made. Rob is a huge cheerleader for local talent. He is also a published author and founder of The Porto Diao Network, a blog that promotes innovative ideas and individuals. Invite Rob out for a beer and I bet it will be one of your most entertaining evenings in Panama.

Pat Chan

As the owner of a number of Panamanian former street dogs, I admire Pat for being able to help homeless animals on a larger scale. Pat retired as chief financial planning officer for the Panama Canal Authority and opened Spay/Panama. Operating since 2002, Spay/Panama offers low cost neutering for dogs and cats. She owns a modern, well-equipped facility in Panama City and also organizes “blitzes” in more remote areas of Panama. Spay/Panama is a non-profit, non-governmental organization that has sterilized more than 13-thousand dogs and cats since 2002. They have also found homes for more than 800 animals. Though Spay/Panama requests a contribution of $20 per dog and $10 per cat, more than 50 percent of the sterilizations are done for free because the owners can’t afford the contribution. Even if you are not an animal lover, Spay/Panama offers a great service that impacts everyone living in Panama. The more sterilized animals, the less likely you are to have a starving dog or cat rummaging through your garbage at night. You can find more information or how to donate to this great cause here.

Irving Saladino

The 25-year old Panamanian long jumper is arguably Panama’s most accomplished athlete today. In May Saladino recorded the best long jump in 14 years, with a leap of 8.73 meters. He is now ranked 7th of all time for long jumping. Back in 2006, Saladino won 5 out of 6 Golden League events earning him more than 83-thousand dollars. Having such an accomplished athlete currently competing for Panama can only heighten the awareness and profile of the country. Saladino will be completing in this years summer Olympics, and hopefully will bring back a gold. Currently Panama has claimed just two Olympic medals, both bronzes, earned by Lloyd LaBeach in 1948 for the 100m and 200m in track and field.

Agree or disagree with my list? Who are some of the people in Panama that you admire?

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Filed under: News on June 13th, 2008