What makes someone a "Real Life Rocky?" Get to know 4 Philadelphia people just like the fictional boxer
As Philadelphia spends a week celebrating the fictional boxer Rocky Balboa through 2024's RockyFest, organizers plan to unveil larger-than-life murals to honor four of the city's "Real Life Rockys" on Wednesday morning.
A "Real Life Rocky" is someone whose values and spirit embodies the characteristics of Rocky Balboa. The honorees overcame obstacles while demonstrating grit, strength, hope and humility.
While Balboa might be "the greatest Philadelphian who never lived," the PHL Visitor Center says "there are thousands of Philadelphians who embody the 'Rocky' story of an underdog persevering despite the odds."
The portraits created by mural artist Ash Ryan were installed outside the Philadelphia Museum of Art right next to where visitors wait to take a photo with the Rocky Statue.
The "Real Life Rocky" murals are a part of the weeklong RockyFest 2024. The festival celebrates 48 years since the original "Rocky" movie's release with events through Dec. 7. You can check out the full schedule on the Philadelphia Visitor Center's website.
A few of the Real Life Rocky honorees have appeared on CBS News Philadelphia – some, multiple times. Below, get to know the honorees and their work in the community.
"Real Life Rocky" Honorees
Chantay Love
After Chantay Love lost her brother Emir Greene to gun violence, she made it her mission to help lead the community in a better direction. She became the co-founder and president of EMIR Healing Center.
"My community partners nominated me. They really spearheaded saying that I was a real-life Rocky to them," said Love.
Her work has drawn attention to the deeper meaning behind the organization's name: Every Murder is Real. She has created a support system for those who have been impacted by homicide and the organization speaks out against gun violence.
"I'm in awe but I will also say, I'm not the only Rocky, there's a bunch of Rocky's in the city," she said. "There's people like myself doing amazing work and serving our communities. I'm glad that I'm the first but I'm glad I won't be the only."
"I love my city. I love my community. It's the place I learned to be family. It's also a place where I saw a lot of pain," said Love. "But it's also the reason why I said. 'Hey, how do we turn our communities back to our neighborhoods?'"
"I've been an underdog. I've come from an impoverished community. A lot of trauma but I will tell you that through that I've also seen what resilience is and what it means to fight for something," she continued. "That's embedded in us. Even though I'm a real-life Rocky it's embedded in our city and communities but we can fight."
Michelle Konkoly
Michelle Konkoly was paralyzed at just 18 years old after she slipped and fell through her dorm room window five stories up while at Georgetown University.
"The whole story is about you're gonna get knocked down," said Konkoly. "That is inevitable but you got to get back up and stay in the fight and I feel like my own story has had many of those parallels but ultimately it's about bringing a group of people together and depending on those people around you to help you get in the fight and stay fighting and that's what's gotten me to where I am is all those people who rallied around me."
After competing in high school swimming prior to the fall, she underwent a long recovery at Jefferson Moss-Magee Rehabilitation Hospital in Center City.
Konkoly didn't stop swimming after the fall and qualified for the 2016 Paralympic Games in Rio, where she won four medals – two of them gold – and even set a world record in her first race at the Paralympic trials.
"My story and everyone's story here today I think represents so many aspects of what it means to be a Philadelphian," she said. "To have that grit. To have that determination. Have that ability to help the person next to you."
She went on to become a doctor, treating patients at the same rehabilitation center where she was once a patient.
Joshua Santiago
Joshua Santiago is the founder of Empowering Cuts, a nonprofit that helps the homeless population, and those battling addiction. Santiago is a Philadelphia native and has helped many struggling community members with the power of a free haircut and a meaningful conversation.
"Part of the movie, part of the story was in Kensington, you know, so to me it just means a lot because that's the community that I serve," said Santiago.
Santiago has shown heart, helping hundreds of people a week in the Kensington neighborhood. He has also gone on to help people all across the country.
He founded the nonprofit in 1997 and said the moment of the haircut and the conversation offer a chance for transformation.
The late Jimmy Young
Jimmy Young was an iconic heavyweight boxer from North Philadelphia. He was inducted into the New Jersey Boxing Hall of Fame in 2001.
"My father, he inspired a lot of people in Philadelphia when he had his boxing career so it means a lot to me to see him get honored and see him represent the city of Philadelphia in the Rocky festival," said Jason Young, son of the late Jimmy Young.
Young matched up against some of the most famous boxers in the world including Muhammad Ali and George Foreman (whom he beat in a unanimous decision in 12 rounds) and left a lasting legacy in the city of Philadelphia.
