Search:

Overcoming Challenges

By: Healthy Wealthy nWise The driving spirit of a person will determine their success. It's not something that comes from a privileged background. Bonnie St. John can testify to this fact. Bonnie has seen success beyond most people's wildest dreams through the Olympic Games, but it's hard to imagine that success if you believe the stereotypes all around you.

Bonnie St. John grew up a poor black girl from a broken home in San Diego. To make matters worse, she only had one leg. The other was amputated when she was only five years old. She had no money and no snow, but she wanted to be a skier. To her advantage, her mother encouraged this crazy dream.

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 proved harder than even Bonnie St. John could have imagined. She was constantly falling down as she fought with the prosthetic leg. She didn't know what equipment to buy, so her knit mittens left her fingers cold and met. None of it mattered, though. Bonnie was having the time of her life!

Through the Ski Club, Bonnie St. John was later able to get appropriate ski attire and begin ski lessons. She found other amputees who weren't only skiing, they were racing. Bonnie joined in the fun and decided that still wasn't enough. She wanted to train for the U.S. Olympic Ski Team.

Everyone can be successful, but each of us must face our own obstacles head-on. Some challenges are tougher than others, of course, but with a little creativity and a lot of determination, anything can be overcome. Don't give up on your dreams. Pick yourself up when you fall, and try again.

Article Source: http://www.lifeweightloss.com

Do you have the motivation for success? Bonnie St. John overcame immense problems to realize her passions. Go to Bonnie St. John to see how you can learn from her experiences.

Please Rate this Article

Not yet Rated