Monday, December 5, 2011
Scot Hollonbeck
Scot Hollonbeck's story is very interesting and motivational to me as an athlete. Scot Hollonbeck was hit by a drunk driver while riding his bike at the age of 14. I look up to Scot as a person because he was able to take a situation that was bad and make the most out of it. After the accident Scot made a choice that he will still be a great athlete regardless of his disability. Scot Hollonbeck won a gold medal in the 1992 Paralympic Games in the 800 m showing that he can be great. I feel the Paralympics should be marketed better and the athletes should get more credit for what they do because their stories are very inspirational. Every athlete could learn from Scot Hollonbeck and other disable athletes, being an athlete is hard and takes a lot of work, dedication, and time. It is easy to give up sometimes but the great athletes have the will to keep going and keep pushing. Scot Hollonbeck exemplifies hard work and dedication. In high school I played against a kid in football that was deaf and he wasn't the fastest, biggest, strongest, but he was the most respected. I respect what he did because if I was in his situation I don't know if I would continue to play football. Athletes with disabilities have something to prove every time they compete and that is the reason why I respect them so much.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
I like what you said most about everyone respecting your deaf opponent. It takes a lot of courage as well as that extra bit of focus to be successful as a disabled athlete. The determination these athletes put into their respective sports is incredible and it really inspires me as well. I've never played against an athlete with any visible or known disablilty but I can only imagine how it was to play against someone who was deaf, especially in a sport like football. It makes me wonder if anyone who played against him went a little easy on him or if they took advantage of his disability. If that was the case, its sad.
ReplyDeleteEither way, good stuff.
-Bobby
Hey Steve,
ReplyDeleteWhen something tragic occurs in someone's life you could either:
-take what you are given and make an excuse to give up
-take what you are given and use it as a motivation to work harder.
Since Scot was born an "abled-body" individual, I am sure it was very mentally hard to adjust to a different lifestyle after the accident. However, instead of feeling bad for himself, he decided to seize an opportunity and make due with what he was given. Although I am a lot more fortunate than he is, I often wonder why I was born with my physical impairment (cerebral palsy). However, as I hear these stories, it makes it easier to deal with my difference and realize how lucky I really am. People like Scot are very mentally tough and can persevere through any obstacle that may meet him in life, which I commend him for!