FRIDAYS STORY

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Here is your Friday story,

The Amazing Power of the Human Will

" My mother taught me very early to believe I could achieve any

accomplishment I wanted to. The first was to walk without braces. "

Wilma Rudolph

The human will is the most incredible thing. I believe it is the

human will that keeps us going, when everyone else expects us to sit,

or even quit.

I have always been fascinated by the heroes and sheroes who have made

indelible marks in world history; and illustrated distinguished

triumphs over seemingly, insurmountable adversity.

I can vividly recall reading about Wilma Rudolph when I was in grade

school. Her life epitomized, " breaking through limitations. " Over the

last three decades, I have thought about Wilma when so-

called, " limitations " presented themselves in my own life. I think of

Wilma, and I am passionately reminded of the amazing power of the

human will.

Wilma Rudolph was born prematurely and weighed only 4.5 pounds. Most

of her childhood was spent in St. Bethlehem, Tennessee. There, she

was bedridden as she battled double pneumonia, scarlet fever and

polio. At six years old, she lost the use of her left leg.

Subsequently, she was fitted with leg braces. Later on in life, she

was often quoted as saying: " I spent most of my time trying to get

them off. (I had an uncompromising resolve) to be a normal kid. "

At the age of 16, when she was only a sophomore in high school, the

5' 11 " Wilma Rudolph won a bronze medal at the Olympic Games in

Melbourne, Australia. And, in the 1960 Rome Olympics, Rudolph

became " the fastest woman in the world. " She also was the first

American woman to win three gold medals in one Olympics. She won the

100 and 200 meter races; and also anchored the U.S. team to victory

in the 4 X 100 meter relay, breaking records along the way.

Wilma Rudolph is remembered by family and admirers alike, for her

incredible calm and graceful demeanor when under pressure. Valiantly

and brilliantly, she removed all of her " struggles " during the course

of her lifetime.

She once said: " The most important aspect is to be yourself and have

confidence in yourself...triumph can't be had without a struggle. "

In 1994, Wilma Rudolph died of brain cancer at the age of 54. Few

would argue that she lived a full, purposeful, and triumphant life.

Rudolph expected victory when just about everyone else would have

understood if she'd just lay down, sit or even quit. Thank you,

Wilma, for being the contrary.