Persevering Through Health Issues
Catching Kayla
Growing up Kayla hardly seemed destined to become an athlete. Kayla was pushed to try different things and ultimately she fell in love with soccer. At 14 Kayla was playing on a selected travel team for soccer and she was about to begin her freshmen year in high school when she noticed something was wrong. Kayla had started to feel a tingling sensation in her legs. Many doctor visits and MRIs led to the diagnosis of MS. A disease when the body's immune system attacks its own nerve cells. There is no cure. For 8 months Kayla had no feeling in her legs but with the help of medication the feelings slowly returned. She had to give up soccer and instead she turned to track.
Kayla playing soccer when she was younger
Kayla in her coachs arms after a race
Kayla running
Catching Kayla
Kayla knew she wasn't guaranteed the next couple years of running and she wanted to make the most out of every day. In the beginning Kayla was an average runner. Later she pushed herself to become the best she could be. With time Kayla learned to pace herself and gradually that slow runner moved faster. First making varsity, then becoming its fastest runner, than training full time with the boys team, and finally becoming one of the fastest girls in North Carolina. In her final race of her high school career Kayla finished first. (espnE;602016)
Positive
Paige Rawl is a young woman that is fighting HIV. As a child in middle school she was bullied repeatedly. People called her PAIDS, they told everyone to stay away from her, and they wrote nasty notes. Paige would tell counselors about her problem but they told her to stop causing drama. When Paige couldn't take any more of the bullying she left Clarkstown middle school. As Paige moved on to high school she was still struggling with anxiety problems and depression. It had gotten so bad that Paige could only see one solution, to commit suicide. After attempting suicide Paige went to a camp. Camp Kindle was an amazing experience for her. At camp kindle Paige met many kinds that were affected by HIV and she made a lot of friends. At camp Kindle Paige learned how to get over her anger. She had to decide not to be mad and to let go of the past. Paige could inspire people by using her own adversity to connect with other people. (Paige Rawl 2014)
Preparing to Win
In 1950 Maury Wills was 5 feet 8 inches and weighed 150 pounds-too small to play most baseball positions. He was an amazing sprinter, a great pitcher, and a phenomenal fielder, but he wasn't a promising hitter. The Brooklyn Dodgers signed him but sent him down to the minor leagues for development. Maury believed in two years he would be in Brooklyn playing along side Jackie Robinson but he ended up in the minors for about eight and a half years. He could barely support his family but he still knew he had something to offer a big league club if he had the chance. Everyday Maury practiced for hours, yet after years of intense practice, he was still not good enough to make a major league roster. Suddenly, the Dodgers needed a new player and out of desperation they finally called Maury in to play with them. The first thing Maury did was go to the first base coach, Pete Reiser and asked for assistance. Pete agreed to practice with Maury two hours before the team's regular practice. Maury practiced hitting day after day, but even after his continuous efforts he still wasn't good enough. Finally, Maury considered quitting baseball, but Pete wouldn't let that happen. Pete realized what Maury was missing, which was that Maury had been working so hard on his physical ability, but what he needed to work on was his confidence. Every day they worked to change his attitude and finally it worked. Maury began to get hits the first time at bat.(Preparing to Win)