Zelina Vega lost her father when she was only 10 years old. While her father’s story ended in tragedy, however, his last words and actions left his family with a lot to be proud of.
Vega was a guest on the most recent edition of Lillian Garcia’s “Chasing Glory” podcast and told the tragic story of losing her father in the September 11th, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center.
She spoke about how her father was an amateur wrestler and a big wrestling fan. When Zelina told her father she wanted to be a wrestler, he was supportive. Vega said she knew from the time she was 4-years old she wanted to be a wrestler and her father played a big role in that.
“He took me to ECW and that scared the hell out of me as a kid,” Vega recalled.
Vega kept a lot of mementos from going to wrestling events with her Dad. A Hardy Boyz T-shirt from her childhood still seems to be one of her prized possessions.
“We didn’t have a lot of money but we were always at the events,” she continued.
Such an emotional day for ??
Hear @Zelina_VegaWWE open up like never before about her father’s untimely death during the 9/11 attacks, and her father’s heartwarming message to her stepfather. #NeverForget https://t.co/h0gytOv7k9
— Lilian Garcia (@LilianGarcia) September 11, 2018
Zelina Vega Recalls Losing Her Father In 9/11 Attacks
Vega recalled the emotional story of her experience of September 11th, 2001. She had stayed home from school that day and her father phoned from inside the second tower after it had been hit but before the building collapsed. He worked inside the World Trade Center on the 103rd floor.
Vega’s mother and step-father were taking turns speaking to him on the phone. She recalled overhearing him coughing and the coughing growing louder.
Vega then overheard her father say something very touching to her step-father through the phone. “When he got onto the phone with my step-dad he said ‘honestly Kermit, I don’t think I’m going to make it out of here. I know you’re a great man I need you to be a father to my kids,” Vega said. “Love them like I would.”
Garcia posted part of the conversation to her YouTube channel below:
