Today we’d like to introduce you to Freddy Zamora.
Freddy, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
I was born and raised in Austin, Texas, and a lot of who I am today comes from the experiences I’ve had right here in this community. My journey hasn’t always followed a traditional path, but I’ve always believed that hard work, perseverance, and how you treat people can take you a long way.
I began my career in the cable and telecommunications industry in 1999. I worked as a technician and auditor before moving into quality control and leadership. By 2005, I became one of the first QC inspectors for Time Warner Cable in Austin, where I helped develop quality-control processes and trained technicians who would later become QC inspectors themselves. I eventually moved into a supervisory role with Capital Broadband, managing two leads and approximately 20 technicians. In 2015, I also helped put together a team that retrofitted existing apartment communities for Google Fiber, which gave me additional experience with construction planning, blueprints, materials, and fiber-to-the-home projects.
In 2017, I began working for Austin Energy, where I continued building my experience in utility operations, inventory, logistics, and supporting the people in the field.
But the biggest influence on the person I am today isn’t something on my résumé.
In 2012, my family lost my son, Freddy Zamora Jr., to cancer at just 18 years old. Freddy battled cancer for six months, but what has stayed with me most isn’t how he died—it’s how he lived. He was an athlete, a fighter, a friend, a son and a young man who had an incredible impact on the people around him. Watching the courage he showed during those six months changed my perspective on life forever.
That experience eventually inspired me to establish the FZJ Foundation and write Forever #82, which tells Freddy’s story and preserves his legacy. My goal is to take that story into schools and communities and use it to encourage young people to appreciate life, overcome adversity, believe in themselves, and understand the impact they can have on others.
At the same time, entrepreneurship has become another important part of my journey. My sons and I have built a mobile detailing business together, and I’m continuing to develop other business opportunities that allow me to use the leadership and field experience I’ve gained throughout my career.
At this stage of my life, success means something different to me than it did when I was younger. It’s not just about what I can accomplish personally. It’s about what I can build that will still matter when I’m gone.
Whether that’s through the FZJ Foundation, sharing Freddy’s story, mentoring others, building businesses with my children, serving my community, or creating opportunities for the next generation, I’m trying to turn everything I’ve learned—the successes and the difficult moments—into something positive.
Ultimately, I want to leave my children and grandchildren more than money or a business. I want to leave them an example of perseverance, service, faith, family, and what it means to keep moving forward no matter what life puts in front of you.
We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It definitely has not been a smooth road. Like most people, I’ve experienced setbacks professionally, financially, and personally, but without question, the greatest struggle of my life was losing my son, Freddy Jr., to cancer when he was only 18 years old.
As a father, you naturally believe it’s your job to protect your children and fix whatever is wrong. Cancer taught me that there are some things in life that you simply cannot fix. Watching my son fight for six months and eventually having to say goodbye changed me forever.
But Freddy also taught me something during that time. Even while facing something most adults would struggle to handle, he showed incredible courage. He continued thinking about other people, continued fighting, and continued living. I watched an 18-year-old young man teach grown adults what strength really looked like.
After losing him, one of my biggest struggles was figuring out what to do with that pain. I could allow it to consume me, or I could find a way to give it purpose. Over time, that became one of the driving forces behind the FZJ Foundation, Forever #82, and my desire to share his story with young people.
There have been plenty of other obstacles along the way. I didn’t take a traditional path to success. I earned my GED and built my career through experience, hard work, learning from others, and being willing to take on responsibility when opportunities came my way. I’ve had to reinvent myself several times throughout my career and learn new industries, technologies, and roles.
I’ve also learned that building businesses and serving the community while working a full-time career requires sacrifice. There are long days, financial risks, mistakes, and moments when you question whether something is going to work. But I’ve learned not to measure my life by how many times things have gone wrong. I measure it by how many times I’ve been willing to get back up and keep moving.
Losing Freddy put everything into perspective for me. Tomorrow isn’t promised, and adversity doesn’t have to be the end of your story. Sometimes the hardest chapters of your life become the very chapters that give you your purpose.
That’s something I try to pass down to my children and grandchildren today: you’re going to lose some battles in life. What matters is that you don’t allow those battles to make you lose the war. Keep your faith, keep your family close, learn from what you’ve been through, and keep moving forward.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about FZJ Foundation?
The FZJ Foundation was created in memory of my son, Freddy Zamora Jr, but I want people to understand that our foundation is about much more than remembering someone we lost. It is about continuing the way Freddy lived and using his story to make a difference in the lives of others.
Freddy passed away from cancer in 2012 at only 18 years old.During his short life, he made an incredible impact on his family, teammates, classmates, coaches, teachers, and community. He was an athlete, a fighter, and someone who genuinely cared about people. Even during his battle with cancer, he showed a level of courage and strength that continues to inspire me today.
The mission of the FZJ Foundation is centered around youth, education, community involvement, and helping families. We want to provide scholarships to deserving students, support families and children in our community, organize programs such as toy drives, and bring Freddy’s message of courage and perseverance into schools.
One area I am especially passionate about is speaking with students. Through Freddy’s story and my book, *Forever #82*, I want young people to understand how valuable their lives are\. Freddy was given only 18 years, yet he left an impact that is still being felt more than a decade later. I want students to ask themselves, “What kind of impact am I making with the time I’ve been given?”
I think what sets the FZJ Foundation apart is that our mission is extremely personal. This isn’t something created around an idea on paper. Our family lived this story. We experienced the diagnosis, the fight, the support of our community, and ultimately the loss of our son and brother. Now we’re taking that experience and turning it into service.
I’m most proud that Freddy’s name continues to represent something positive. His story didn’t end on August 9, 2012.Every scholarship we eventually award, every child we help, every family we support, and every student who hears Freddy’s story becomes another part of his legacy.
I also want people to know that this is a family effort. My wife, our children, and people who knew and loved Freddy are helping build the foundation. We want it to become something that serves Central Texas for generations.
Ultimately, when people hear “FZJ Foundation,” I want them to think about courage, family, community, and legacy.
We can’t change what happened to Freddy, but we can decide what we do because of him. If his story encourages one student not to give up, helps one family through a difficult time, or gives one young person an opportunity they otherwise wouldn’t have had, then we’re accomplishing what we set out to do.
That’s what “Forever #82” means to us. Freddy may no longer be physically here, but the impact of the life he lived continues—and through the FZJ Foundation, we’re going to make sure that impact keeps growing
How can people work with you, collaborate with you or support you?
There are many ways people can work with and support the FZJ Foundation, and one of our biggest goals is to build lasting relationships throughout the Austin and Central Texas community.
We would love to collaborate with local businesses, schools, educators, youth organizations, athletic programs, nonprofits, and community leaders who share our commitment to helping young people and families.
Schools and youth organizations can invite me to speak and share Freddy’s story with their students. Through Forever #82 and my presentations, I talk about perseverance, making good choices, appreciating the people around you, overcoming adversity, and understanding that the way you live your life can leave an impact far beyond what you may realize.
Businesses and community partners can support us through sponsorships, donations, scholarship partnerships, fundraising events, toy drives, or even by donating products and services that can help us serve families in the community. We’re also very open to creative collaborations. Sometimes the best partnerships come simply from sitting down together and asking, “How can we make a difference?”
Individuals can support the foundation by donating, volunteering, attending or sharing our events, purchasing Forever #82, sharing Freddy’s story, or simply helping us connect with people and organizations who believe in our mission.
As the foundation grows, we want to build a strong network of people who aren’t just donors, but true community partners.
Most importantly, I want people to know that you don’t have to make a huge financial contribution to make an impact. Sometimes donating your time, making an introduction, sharing our mission, or opening a door can be just as valuable.
The FZJ Foundation was born from our family’s story, but my hope is that it becomes something the entire community can be part of. Freddy showed us that one person’s life can impact thousands of others. Together, we want to continue that legacy and create opportunities for the next generation.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://Fzjfoundation.weebly.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/19Z4heti3T/?mibextid=wwXIfr
