NORFOLK, Va. – Pernell “Sweet Pea” Whitaker was only 24 years old when he secured his first and only gold medal in the 1984 Olympic Games. Even more impressive than that, the Norfolk native had never fought at the pro level.
Whitaker was born on Jan. 2, 1964, in Norfolk. Pernell graduated from Booker T. Washington High School in 1982, the same year he won a silver medal in the lightweight division at the Men’s Amateur World Championship Games.