Search Results: determination
First Lady Michelle Obama's Words of Wisdom for a Hopeful Tomorrow
In April 2009, First Lady Michelle Obama made her first official trip overseas in her newly appointed position. During her trip, she visited a girls’ school in England called the Elizabeth Garrett Anderson School. There, Mrs. Obama spoke to the students, sharing wonderful words of encouragement and wisdom. She emphasized to them the importance of determination…
Sami Stoner and Her Guide Dog – Best Friends and Teammates
Sami Stoner is a gifted athlete and a gifted human being. After a rare disease left Sami blind when she was 14 years old, she decided to focus her energies on what she loved to do rather than what she could not do. Sami loved to run. “If you love something enough, you’ll find a…
Ahmed Kelly – Once an Orphan, Now an Aspiring Paralympian!
For Ahmed Kelly and his brother Emmanuel, life didn’t have the best start. They were born in the middle of a war zone and abandoned at an orphanage, both with severely deformed arms and legs. However, at the age of 6, the lives of Ahmed and Emmanuel were forever changed when a lady named Moira Kelly brought…
Neil Armstrong – A Humble Man, An Extraordinary Journey
“That’s one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind.” These were the words spoken by astronaut Neil Armstrong, the legendary astronaut who recently passed away, as he took the first footsteps ever taken by a man onto the moon! Born on August 5, 1930, Neil Armstrong was the son of a pilot who followed in his father’s…
Samantha Garvey – From Homelessness to High Honor!
In January 2012, high school senior Samantha Garvey was facing a very tough time. Her family, who had endured financial difficulties throughout her childhood, had just lost their home and had to take refuge in a local shelter. Samantha was a gifted, hard-working student, but her situation made it hard for her to focus. Then came great news……Samantha’s dedication to her studies…
First the Olympics, Now the Paralympics – It's a Summer of Amazing Inspiration!
Over the past few weeks, the world watched in awe as the 10,000 athletes of the XXX Olympiad gave their all and inspired millions with their strength and determination. Some of the most touching stories of the London 2012 Olympics were the ones in which athletes overcame hardship to pursue their dreams. If you were inspired by the determination…
Oscar Pistorius – Reaching for Ultimate Greatness Despite his Disability!
In November 1986, in Johannesburg, South Africa, a boy was born with deformed legs. Because of the deformity, the boy’s parents had to have his lower legs amputated. The boy was fitted with prosthetics 6 months later, and after that he was off and running, literally! The boy’s name? Oscar Pistorius. Because Oscar lost his lower legs…
John Orozco – No Gold, But Still a Champion by any Measure
Olympic gymnast John Orozco may not have medaled at the 2012 London Olympics, but he still has reason to hold his head high. John started life as a poor boy from the Bronx who happened to like gymnastics. His parents enrolled him in a gymnastics class, and that started it all….. Although it was not easy for John…
Phoebe Russell – Never Too Young to Make a Difference
Do you think you’re too young to make a difference? Well, think again! At only 5 years old, Phoebe Russell saw hungry people in her community, and she decided to do something about it….. Phoebe had seen people on a street one day holding up signs asking for food. She didn’t quite understand what it meant, so she asked her…
Chrysa Nowell – Bringing New Meaning to the Words "Competitive Athlete"!
15-year-old Chrysa Nowell is a competitive athlete, swimming on her high school’s swim team. When Chrysa gets in the pool, she doesn’t outswim anyone, and she never places in any of her meets. Yet she is one of the most dedicated and beloved competitors of all. That’s because Chrysa has a disease called arthrogryposis that…
