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Overcoming Adversity
Bonnie St. John grew up very poor. She was a black girl from San Diego being raised by a single mother. Worse still, she was an amputee. Her leg was taken from her when she was five years old. Although she had no money and no snow, she longed to be a skier. Her mother actually encouraged her in this crazy idea.
People will tell you that black people never ski, swim, or play golf, but this is 100% untrue. Sure there are a few big names out there like Tiger Woods, but in reality, there are a lot of black people involved in these sports. One of Bonnie's motivations from a very early age was to do her best so that others could be motivated by her.
Before her days of fame, when she was just a kid, a classmate named Barbara Warmath invited Bonnie to go on a family ski trip during the Christmas break. It was a moment of dreams. Bonnie was the kid everyone either teased or didn't notice. She rode a special bus and was exempt from PE classes. This was the chance of a lifetime.
To go on the ski trip with her friend that Christmas, Bonnie had only a few short weeks to overcome several obstacles. Embarrassment wasn't an option for her. This was before the days of the internet, so Bonnie flipped through the Yellow Pages looking for inexpensive snow gear. Most of her gear ended up coming from the Salvation Army.
Skiing definitely did NOT come naturally to Bonnie St. John. She could barely hop or walk without her prosthesis, so skiing was a much bigger challenge than she had anticipated. She didn't even know what gear to buy, so her hands were freezing in the wet, knit mittens from all the falls. Bonnie enjoyed the challenge, though. To her, this was fun.
Bonnie St. John later found the Ski Club where she was able to find appropriate ski gear and begin training to ski. Eventually, she began racing with other amputees. The more she raced, the more she enjoyed it. The more she trained, the more she wanted to be on the U.S. Olympic Ski Team.
We can all be successful, no matter what the challenge we face. Some people have harder barriers to break than others, and some people are more creative at breaking those barriers than others, but in the end, we all have the same chance. Never give up. Never let your dreams die. Get up when you fall, and have patience.
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About the Author
Do you possess the motivation to succeed? Bonnie St. John conquered gigantic problems to realize her passions. Visit Bonnie St. John to see how you can learn from her experiences.
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