San Pedro honors six athletes at the annual Sportswalk of Fame ceremony

San Pedro’s Sportswalk of Fame honored six recipients on Monday, Oct. 13, on board the Battleship Iowa Museum.

Now branded as the Los Angeles Sportswalk of Fame, the gathering has a long and storied history in San Pedro, a town long known for its passion for sports.

The event recognizes individuals for their athletic accomplishments and contributions to their individual sports while also raising scholarship money for local high school senior athletes. The 2024 event raised $12,000, which went to eight high school athletes in May.

This year’s celebration paid tribute to:

• John Link: John Fer Humanitarian Award (track and field).
• Philip D’Amato: National Award (thoroughbred racing).
• Marina Vitalich: National/International Award (softball).
• Murphy Su’a: Trani Award (baseball).
• Mike Pentecost: Local Award (yacht racing).
• Mike O’Donnell: Local Award (lifeguard/Dory Racing).

Attendees gathered on board the World War II-era battleship for the popular event, known for its bronze sidewalk plaques honoring the athletes. The ceremony, which includes a lunch and the announcement of scholarship proceeds raised from the gathering, has been one of the more popular traditions in the port town.

Its purpose, according to the event’s official description, is to “promote and vitalize sports through education in the Los Angeles community, provide a scholarship program for youth in the South Bay community, and continue and expand the concept throughout the Harbor Area’s waterfront district.”

The initial San Pedro Sportswalk debuted on Oct. 5, 1978, in a ceremony that also marked the revitalization of San Pedro’s Downtown Commercial District at the time. In the 45 years since, the organization has changed and evolved with the times.

In 2004, the San Pedro Peninsula Chamber of Commerce’s Board of Directors unanimously adopted the proposal for a nonprofit foundation to assume all responsibilities related to continuing the Sportswalk. In 2018, the foundation changed its name to the Los Angeles Sportswalk of Fame, and recognizes athletes and sports celebrities who have both regional and national significance to the sports community.

Past honorees have included Jerry West, Jackie Robinson, Mando Ramos, Jackie Joyner-Kersee and Tommy Lasorda; their plaques can be seen embedded in the sidewalks along Sixth, Seventh, Centre and Mesa streets in San Pedro.