Underdog
by Rishabh Jain
Nick Vujicic
Nick Vujicic was born on December 4, 1982. The problem is that he was born with no arms or legs. It was really hard for him to do many of the stuff regular people could do. He wasn't very capable of playing sports such as golf or swimming. Not just that, Nick also couldn't hug his kids properly which is very sad. The solution he came up with is to forget all the bad things in the past and try to be persistent. This had made him very successful. He had lots of passion and a willing heart to perform such tasks he is able to do. An example is being a motivational speaker to try and encourage young students to overcome their adversities and find a meaningful purpose in their lives, so they can be happy. Other achievements he has done is publishing his own book, "Life Without Limits". Nick also got a doorstop award. Overall Nick Vujicic is a generous and noble man.
Jackie Robinson
Jackie Robinson wanted to play baseball at a time when it was segregated. As a result he had to face constant criticism from opposing teams, fans, and his teammates. He couldn't even fight back. Branch Rickey the president of the Brooklyn Dodgers said he needed a player with enough guts not to fight back. Therefore he couldn't talk back or even fight back. Robinson had to only focus on baseball and try to ignore them. Results of this turned out to be excellent because of his persistence and determination he was selected rookie of the year, won the National league pennant by scoring 12 homeruns and was respected by more and more fans because of his amazing .342 batting average during the 1949 season. Later on he won the National leagues Most Valuable Player. This was influenced by Branch Rickey by telling him never to give up and never fight back. Just show them what you are made of Rickey said. Overall Jackie Robinson is a very dedicated player.
Don Charlton
Don Charlton was a poor guy and had a tough life when he was little, he couldn't afford really anything. For example he only had a table with 3 legs and his mom suffered from a mental illness that was undiagnosed her whole life. His family didn't find out until she passed away. Don hid his childhood poverty from others, but now wears it as a badge of honor. He has many characteristics such as hardworking, inspiring, and resilient. The reason he has the reason he has these characteristics is because from poor he became wealthy. He did this by hard work and having a creative mind. He also inspires young minds, so that they will have happy lives. Most importantly Don Charlton is a hero because of all he has done. There are not many people like him in this world.
Amy Purdy
Amy Purdy started snowboarding when she was 15, but in 1999 she contracted bacterial meningitis and had less than a 2% chance of living. She did survive the infection, but had faced adversity on the way. At first she lost both her legs right below her knee. Second of all she had required one of her fathers kidney. Next, after she started to recover, in 2005 she got into the 2005 adaptive sports illustrated magazine. She also became a motivational speaker. At the same time she became a spokesperson for the challenged athletes foundation which is an organization that provides grants for training, competition, and equipment for athletes with disabilities exactly like her. Other hobbies she likes to do are skateboarding, wake boards, and riding mountain bikes. Amy Purdy is a very passionate and persistent snowboarder.
Keevan/ Mike wasouski- monsters university
In the story The Little Dragon Boy, a boy named Keevan got teased and and humiliated in front of everybody because of how short he is. He tries to show everyone that he isn't a nobody. He wants to show the people of his town what he is made of. Keevan wants to try and ride a dragon and or impress one. He works twice as hard than anyone and in the end of the story he does get a dragon which shocked everyone. None of them new he was capable of getting a dragon. Keevan is similar to Mike from the movie Monsters university because all monsters thought that he couldn't scare a child since he was small and didn't have the skill of becoming a monster. Mike tried to show everyone that he could scare a kid. He did this by studying and acing all the tests and learning all the scares. He tried everything and eventually people did start believing that he could scare a child by registering in a competition to see which team could win a competition. His team won which made people realize that they were wrong about him. Mike also does differ from Keevan in a way Because Mike wanted to show everyone that he could scare a child and Keevan wanted to show everyone that he can impress a dragon. Overall both Keevan and Mike are passionate and determined to do what they want to do.
Citations
"Bio - Life Without Limbs." Life Without Limbs. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2015. http://www.lifewithoutlimbs.org/about-nick/bio/.
"Bio." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 29 May 2015. http://www.biography.com/people/jackie-robinson-9460813.
"Amy Purdy." Team USA. N.p., n.d. Web. 29 May 2015.
http://www.teamusa.org/para-snowboarding/athletes/Amy-Purdy
"Don Charlton - Founder and CEO of The Resumator." IdeaMensch. N.p., 18 Aug. 2011. Web. 29 May 2015.