Ever felt like giving up?

Ya.  Me too.

I wonder if Wilma Rudolf ever felt that way?

Wilma Rudolph is one of the most celebrated female athletes of all time.  She won a bronze metal in the 1956 Olympic games and became the first American woman to win 3 gold medals in the Olympics.  She won the United Press Athlete of the Year, was inducted in the US Olympic Hall of Fame and the Black Sports Hall of Fame and won Most Outstanding International Sports Personality in 1960.

She even has her own “day.”  Yep.  In the state of Tennessee, June 23rd is Wilma Rudolph Day.

How cool is that??

But I wonder if she ever felt like she couldn’t or wouldn’t achieve greatness.  Did she ever doubt herself or wonder if she would win a race?

When Wilma was four years old, she was told she would never walk again.  She was the 20^th of 22 children and was born premature.  Her survival was doubtful and at the age of four she contracted double pheumonia and scarlet fever which left her with a paralyzed and useless left leg.  She wore an iron leg brace and doctors told her she would never walk again.

But Wilma was fortunate enough to have a mother who believed in her.  Her mother told her that she was very bright and could do anything she wanted with her life.  And that all she needed to do was have faith, persistence, courage and an indomitable spirit.

At nine years of age, Wilma removed the leg brace and took the step that doctors told her she would never take.  Soon she developed a rhythmic stride and got the notion, the incredible notion, that she would like to be the world’s greatest woman runner.

At age 13 she entered a race and came in very last.  She entered every race in high school and soon she wasn’t coming in last anymore.  She attended Tennessee State University where a coach saw her talent and spirit and trained her so well, that she went to the Olympics.

So…

“Do you ever feel like giving up?”

Maybe that is the wrong question.

Yes. I’m quite certain it is.

Perhaps the better question is,

WHY WOULD YOU EVER GIVE UP?

Wilma Rudolph is an example of a woman who didn’t let her limitations limit her.  She overcame them.

You have greatness in you too.

You are here to succeed gloriously.

You can.

You will.

Don’t ever give up.  Don’t.

P.S.  Wilma even had her own U.S. postage stamp.  Now that is cool.

 

This entry was posted on Saturday, June 2nd, 2012 at 12:34 am and is filed under BillionClicks. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.