Jim Thorpe: My Lifelong Hero

Jim's Amazing Story

I was reminded of this PowerTales™ story on Facebook today:

“This is Jim Thorpe. Look closely at the photo. You can see that he's wearing different socks and shoes. This wasn't a fashion statement. It was the 1912 Olympics, and Jim was a Native American from Oklahoma representing the U.S. in track and field. On the morning of his competitions, his shoes were stolen. Luckily, Jim ended up finding two shoes in a garbage can. That's the pair that he's wearing in the photo. But one of the shoes was too big, so he had to wear an extra sock. Wearing these shoes, Jim won two gold medals that day.”

Why I Want to Be Like Jim Thorpe

I knew who Jim Thorpe was from an early age. A common Sunday afternoon activity for me was to listen along to recordings as I read, PowerTales™, popular character-development books for children in the 80s. Jim Thorpe's book on Sportsmanship was my favorite. Thorpe's multiple extraordinary athleticism and praiseworthy traits leaped off of every page. At that time, I wanted to be the humble and caring all-star athlete that he was.

Thirty years later, I want to be like Thorpe for different reasons. My sports career is slowing down now. I had my shoulder operated on earlier this year and therapy hasn't been easy. Honestly, I wasn't sure if I would be able to lift my arm to type my dissertation. This particular story is a perfect reminder to me that, like Thorpe, I don't have to resign to excuses of limitations to accomplish my goals. So what if life hasn't given me a fair shake? What am I going to do about it today?

Take Action!

Whatever situation you woke up with this morning; stolen shoes, ill health, an ended relationship, a failed business, don't let it stop you from running your race. You can experience more in life if you'll get over the excuses and get on with living. You can have reasons or you can have results...but you can't have both.

My friends, may we all strive to keep running in this life no matter what the problem with our shoes (life) may be. Now, be happy and go for gold as you live life without excuses.

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