Become What You Want to Be - Follow Your Dreams

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Posted by: " * Vinay * " vinayspandey vinayspandey

Wed May 28, 2008 6:03 pm (PDT)

 

- A Story with Moral - Worth Reading -

 

Become What You Want to Be

 

Let me tell you about a little girl who was born into a very poor

family in a shack in the Backwoods of Tennessee. She was the 20th of

22 children, prematurely born and frail. Her survival was doubtful.

When she was four years old she had double pneumonia and scarlet fever

- a deadly combination that left her with a paralyzed and useless left

leg. She had to wear an iron leg brace. Yet she was fortunate in

having a mother who encouraged her.

 

Well, this mother told her little girl, who was very bright, that

despite the brace and leg, she could do whatever she wanted to do with

her life. She told her that all she needed to do was to have faith,

persistence, courage and indomitable spirit.

 

So at nine years of age, the little girl removed the leg brace, and

she took the step the doctors told her she would never take normally.

In four years, she developed a rhythmic stride, which was a medical

wonder. Then this girl got the notion, the incredible notion that she

would like to be the world's greatest woman runner. Now, what could

she mean - be a runner with a leg like that?

 

At age 13, she entered a race. She came in last - way-way last. She

entered every race in high school, and in every race, she came in

last. Everyone begged her quit! However, one day, she came in next to

last. Then there came a day when she won a race. From then on, Wilma

Rudolph won every race that she entered.

 

Wilma went to Tennessee State University, where she met a coach named

Ed Temple. Coach Temple saw the indomitable spirit of the girl, that

she was a believer and that she had great natural talent. He trained

her so well that she went to the Olympic Games.

 

There she was pitted against the greatest woman runner of the day, a

German girl named Jutta Heine. Nobody had ever beaten Jutta. But in

the 100-meter dash, Wilma Rudolph won. She beat Jutta again in the

200-meters. Now Wilma had two Olimpic gold medals.

 

Finally came the 400-meter relay. It would be Wilma against Jutta once

again. The first two runners on Wilma's team made perfect handoffs

with the baton. But when the third runner handed the baton to Wilma,

she was so excited she dropped it, and Wilma saw Jutta taking off down

the track. It was impossible that anybody could catch this fleet and

nimble girl. But Wilma did just that! Wilma Rudolph had earned three

Olympic gold medals.