Sporting Triumphs News Summaries by title
First black NHL player gives inspirational message to kids
Message of hope
Teen With Heart Defect Savors LPGA Play
Courageous athlete defies cancer to compete for his country
Back from the brink
Manning the MVP of his biggest victory
Blake survived several break points
Matt moves toward Olympic dream
Overcoming adversity
Mangini gets Jets off ropes
Indians revel in historic comeback
Paul Lewis: The remarkable Merlene Ottey runs on
Nyariki: A champ with a story to savor
Adversity brings out the best in brave Azzurri
Pak savours major turnaround
Open-Positive thinking inspires champion Nadal
Revitalised Hingis heads to Paris
‘Retirement’ can be dirty word for some athletes
The best athletes are the ones who overcome
Miracle girl
Chemistry and character crucial components for Steelers’ success
Martina is happy in defeat
Naperville figure skater Lysacek fulfills his lifelong dream of making the Olympics
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First black NHL player gives inspirational message to kids
26th August 2007
By Michael Lightstone
The Chronicle Herald profiled 71-year-old Willie O’Ree who played for 21 years in the National Hockey League and minor leagues. Willie O’Ree achieved the distinction of being the first black person to play in the NHL when he signed with the Boston Bruins in the late 1950s. O’Ree now works as the NHL’s director of diversity programming. Willie O’Ree told the reporter about his positive attitude which had contributed to his successful career. At a recent conference O’Ree told his audience “You need to feel good about yourself and like yourself”. He added “If you feel good about yourself, …other people are going to like you”. Willie O’Ree told The Chronicle Herald that “When I get up in the morning, I look in the mirror and just see a man”. O’Ree added “I don’t see a black man or a brown man – just a man”. The inspiring former athlete also commented that a positive attitude is insufficient to ensure success. “There is no substitute for hard work”.
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Message of hope
7th July 2007
By Paul Friesen
An article in The Winnipeg Sun highlighted the courage, persistence and dedication of NHL star Dustin Penner who overcame years of disappointment, failure and rejection to eventually achieve success at the highest level of his sport. Penner’s success has inspired many people from all walks of life. Dustin Penner was cut three times by his local junior team but never gave up on his dream to become a NHL star. A University of Maine talent scout recognized Penner’s talent and was impressed by the youngster’s positive attitude and offered him an opportunity. Dustin Penner never looked back. Recently, Penner was a key player for the Anaheim Ducks in their triumphant Stanley Cup campaign. Penner recently visited Winkler and a large crowd gathered despite oppressive summer heat. A Winkler resident, Chad Harder, told the reporter about the impact of Dustin Penner’s success. “It gives all kids hope that if you want something bad enough and work hard enough, you can do it”. Another resident, Rick Wolfe, told The Sun that “Kids have been talking to me, saying, ‘I’m going to keep trying.’ The perseverance is what everybody picks up on”.
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Teen With Heart Defect Savors LPGA Play
4th June 2007
By Pete Iacobelli
The Star-Tribune profiled a remarkable teenage golfer who has won many admirers with her persistence, bravery and tenacity on and off the course. 15-year-old MacKinzie Kline of California was born with a congenital heart defect. Despite a long history of medical problems, Kline has dedicated herself to the sport she loves. Those long years of patient practice and training have started paying off. Recently MacKinzie Kline made her debut in a LPGA event. Kline was able to participate in an event in South Carolina thanks to a sponsor’s exemption and a ruling from the LPGA that allowed her to use a cart as well as a portable oxygen supply. Despite being rather disappointed with her scores, Kline was philosophical about her efforts. “I’m just trying to work on my game”. MacKinzie Kline is determined to work even harder to improve her performances. Kline told the reporter that “I’m just going to take away the experience of having fun and working harder at it”. Annika Sorenstam, the tournament’s host commented that “I know this is a dream for her. “I’m happy that we were able to give her the opportunity”.
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Courageous athlete defies cancer to compete for his country
24th March 2007
An article in The Evening Telegraph recognized the courage and tenacity of duathlon competitor who will represent his country after being diagnosed with cancer. 51-year-old Mike Barnsdale was recently diagnosed with melanoma after noticing changes in an area of skin on his left shoulder. Inspired by the remarkable achievements of Tour de France cyclist Lance Armstrong, Mike Barnsdale has continued with his athletic career and is now aiming to compete in both the World and European Duathlon Championships. The sport of Duathlon is a demanding combination of running and cycling. Barnsdale has kept a positive attitude despite his potentially serious illness. “It’s been a worry, but there’s no way I’m letting it stop me from representing my country again. I’ve already been selected for both championships, so I will definitely go”. Barnsdale added “If you have the right approach mentally, the chances of survival are better. I’ve got very good friends in and out of the sport and can pop around to their houses any time I feel the need for some support”.
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Back from the brink
20th March 2007
By Alex McPhillips
Many athletes have had to overcome rejection and failure on the road to eventual success. A story in The Harvard Crimson tells how infielder Jeff Stoeckel has bounced back after being cut from the 2005 Harvard baseball roster. The article describes how Stoeckel’s initial response was a mixture of anger and disbelief but how he picked himself up and started to work harder on his fitness, attitude and skills improvement. He has recently been redrafted and has improved dramatically. Jeff Stoeckel told the reporter from The Crimson “I made the decision at the beginning of the summer that I wasn’t going to get cut again”. Although Stoeckel does not have a strong arm, he compensates by having quick hands and excellent co-ordination. Jeff Stoeckel has also worked hard to improve his batting so that his overall value to the team is enhanced and his position on the roster is more secure. Stoeckel reflected on how his deletion from the roster had contributed to his recent success. “Looking back on it, if I hadn’t got cut, I wouldn’t be as good a player as I am now. It really made me think about how hard I wanted to work”.
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Manning the MVP of his biggest victory
5th February 2007
By Mike Marot (of Associated Press)
The Houston Chronicle published an account of the recent Super Bowl success of Peyton Manning who has overcome years of frustration and disappointment to achieve his dream on the biggest stage of all. Peyton Manning’s personal story highlights the importance of remaining positive and optimistic even when success seems both distant and obscure. The article describes how success eluded Manning for over a decade with a notorious series of playoff eliminations both at Tennessee and later at the Indianapolis Colts. Despite being regarded as one of the greats, Peyton Manning had known many bitter defeats. The Colts victory in the 2007 Super Bowl was a wonderful reward for his years of toil. Manning told the reporter “It’s been hard not only to lose in the playoffs, hard to watch these other teams hoist that trophy knowing they were the ones that – the team that beat us won the Super Bowl”. Manning philosophically added, “That’s a hard pill to swallow. You have to learn from it”. Colts coach Tony Dungy reflected on Manning’s triumph. “I don’t think there’s anything you can say now, other than this guy is a Hall of Fame player and one of the greatest players to ever play the game”.
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Blake survived several break points
14th December 2006
By Chip Brown
The courage and tenacity of tennis champion James Blake has recently attracted much attention and admiration. Blake’s efforts have been recognized with some media awards recognizing his courage. The article in The Dallas Morning News described how Blake had risen through the rankings since his debut on the professional circuit in 1999. In 2004 James Blake’s career suffered a series of setbacks. Blake broke his neck during a charity tennis match. A short time later his beloved father died from stomach cancer. To add to the difficulties, Blake was diagnosed with a severe case of shingles. Blake experienced facial paralysis and visual disturbance. James Blake’s comeback has been nothing short of remarkable. The story documents that Blake has risen to No. 4 in the world rankings. James Blake commented that “I feel like carrying the load and dealing with the pressure will be a little easier for me. I’m a little older and I’ve been through a lot recently, that has helped change my perspective”. The enforced layoff due to injury and his father’s illness also allowed Blake to think about his game and become more calm and patient. His temperament and shot selection have improved as a result. He stated “I don’t feel like I rush things any more, it gives me a little more confidence. It’s made a big difference”.
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Matt moves toward Olympic dream
13th October 2006
Many people overcome remarkable adversity to pursue an Olympic dream. The Evening Star reported on a particularly inspirational athlete who hopes to gain selection for the 2012 Olympics in London. Matt Baker recently defeated hundreds of other young archers in the National Junior Games in the UK. The popular 14-year-old high school student suffers from cerebral palsy and requires a wheelchair and crutches for mobility. Baker finished on a final total of 160 points, 49 ahead of his nearest rival. The teenage hero told the reporter about his hard-fought triumph. “It was an exciting experience and I would love to go back again next year. There wasn’t one person who didn’t have a smile on their face”. Baker added “I would love to really get involved and try for the Olympics”. Ian Page, assistant headteacher of Copleston High School, told The Evening Star that “He is a fantastic young man. He has every reason to not get involved but he does. He is such a shining example to others and we are very proud of him”.
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Overcoming adversity
14th September 2006
By Bill Hatch
The Victoria Advocate reported on the remarkable success of Louisiana State University volleyball team which has achieved remarkable success in extraordinary circumstances. Hurricane Katrina devastated the Louisiana area a year ago. The team has overcome the disruptive effects of the natural disaster and discovered a successful formula. Kassi Mikulik told The Victoria Advocate “What happened with Hurricane Katrina made us stronger people”. She added “We went through that adversity, bounced back, and played and made it to the NCAA tournament for the first time in something like 30 years”. The article described how the disaster brought the tae closer together. Mikulik explained how this had happened. “All we could do was practice and hang out with people that needed our help. We still had our families but they didn’t. We felt we had each other. We felt we were representing our school and became a lot more closer with our teammates from just practicing all day and going everywhere together”. Mikulik described the optimistic mood in the team. “This is our opportunity to be that team. We know that if we keep this going and beat the people we need to beat, we know we can get up there. The team is very confident”.
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Mangini gets Jets off ropes
11th September 2006
By Bob Glauber
This article describes the circumstances surrounding Eric Mangini’s first triumph as the head coach of the Jets. One of the keys for the success might have been a motivational video of a WBC lightweight title bout which inspired the playing group. During the title bout, Diego Corrales was knocked down twice during the 10th round but recovered to knock out his opponent and win. The title bout mirrored the performance of the Jets during their 23-16 win over the Titans. The Jets surrendered a big lead but managed to regroup but scored a late touchdown to snatch victory. Eric Mangini told the reporter about the idea behind the boxing video. “That’s how the season’s going to go. We’re going to have to punch early. We’re going to have to punch often. We’re going to get knocked down. The question is if we’re going to get back up. We will get back up. That’s what we’ve been working on”.
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Indians revel in historic comeback
25th August 2006
By Doug Tucker (of Associated Press)
This article tells of a truly remarkable comeback by the Indians baseball team in a recent match. The Indians managed to concede 10 runs in the first inning but were able to come back and win a historic victory. This was only the second time in history that a team has recovered from a first inning deficit of 10 runs. The Indians eventually won 15-13 over the Royals in 10 innings. Even the Indian’s manager, Eric Wedge, was astonished by his team’s recovery. “That’s why you play nine innings. Once we scored and made it 10-3, you know you’re starting to chip away at it”. By the end of the 6th inning the Indians had already recovered much of the deficit to only trail 13-9. Paul Byrd, who pitched for most of the disastrous first inning, expressed his relief and joy to the reporter. “I deserved to lose. I can’t remember ever winning a game that looked that bleak”. Disappointed Kansas City manager Dayton Moore realized the importance of moving on and focusing on the future. “The great thing about our game is you get a chance to do it all over again the next day”. Moore added “You’ve got to have a short memory to be successful”.
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Paul Lewis: The remarkable Merlene Ottey runs on
13th August 2006
By Paul Lewis
This report contemplates the remarkable career of 46-year-old sprinter Merlene Ottey. At an age when most sprinters have long since hung up their spikes, Merlene Ottey remains highly competitive at the elite level of athletics. In the recent European Championships, in Sweden, Ottey only missed out on a place in the 100m final by 0.03 seconds. There have been low points in Ottey’s career including positive drug tests, but she remains a remarkable model of consistency and persistence. Merlene Ottey now competes for her adopted nation of Slovenia after a rift with the governing body of athletics in Jamaica, the country of her birth. Ottey’s recent performance is even more remarkable considering she recently suffered a potentially career-ending injury. Ottey tore a tendon off her thigh and needed to have it reattached with three screws. Merlene Ottey still continues to dream of competing at the highest level and she has spoken of the possibility of a campaign to win selection for the 2008 Olympics in Beijing.
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Nyariki: A champ with a story to savor
6th August 2006
By Glenn Jordan (of Portland Press Herald)
In recent months the rapid rise of Kenyan runner Tom Nyariki has attracted considerable attention. His performances have included success in the New York half marathon. The success story of Tom Nyariki is all the more impressive when it is considered that he lost the sight from his right eye after injuries from a carjacking incident a few years ago. The article recounts how Nyariki has rebuilt his career despite a seemingly insurmountable setback. One key to his recovery has been the support and encouragement he has received from the people in Kenya. Nyariki told the reporter “They say, ‘You can do it. You can do it’ …Due to their encouragement I have come back”. Several other recent reports have highlighted the courage of this remarkable athlete.
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Adversity brings out the best in brave Azzurri
8th July 2006
By Stefano Blin (AFP)
Many recent media reports have praised the courageous effort of the Italian football team during the 2006 World Cup in Germany. The team suffered several injury setbacks. Their triumph in the event was also achieved against a background of the distractions by an off-field corruption scandal and an apparent suicide attempt by Gianluca Pessotto, a former teammate and close friend of several members of the team. The AFP story describes the success of the team in these extraordinary circumstances. History would record that the Italians would triumph in a hard-fought final against France. The World Cup final went into extra time and was eventually decided by a penalty shootout. The Italian team had a recent history of failure during penalty shootouts but the players were not to be denied on this historic occasion. Truly a remarkable victory!
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Pak savours major turnaround
13th June 2006
By Peter Dixon
This story described the remarkable triumph of golfer Se Ri Pak in the McDonalds LPGA tournament. Pak’s victory after a tense playoff against Karrie Webb represented a truly epic comeback story after several difficult years on the professional golf circuit. In recent years Se Ri Pak’s career had been in freefall. At one point Pak had lost all her enthusiasm for the game and considered quitting. A turning point came when she was forced to take a break due to injury problems. When Pak recovered, she felt refreshed and her love for the game had returned. Ironically, the springboard for Se Ri Pak’s recent success came from a previous loss to the same opponent. Karrie Webb commented “When I won the Kraft, she gave me a big hug and said it was good to see me playing well again. She said ‘Now it is my turn. I’ll win the next one’. And there, she went and did it”.
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Open-Positive thinking inspires champion Nadal
11th June 2006
By Bill Barclay
This article highlighted the importance of a positive attitude in sporting competition and told of the success of Rafael Nadal in the French Open championship. In his post-match press conference Rafael Nadal stated “What is important is that my attitude was always positive”. Nadal had overcome a foot injury setback at the start of the year to achieve success in Paris. “I had a winner’s attitude. Maybe I was not playing at my best level but I still maintained an excellent attitude. If you play with a good mental attitude, even if you are not 100 percent, you can win because you win more with your heart, with you will power than anything else”. Nadal added “It inspires me that everything went well. If you fight all the time, if you have a good mental attitude, it works”. The young Spaniard defeated top-ranked Roger Federer in the final of the French Open in Paris.
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Revitalised Hingis heads to Paris
24th May 2006
By Bill Barclay
Swiss Tennis player Martina Hingis recently received a prestigious award for the sporting comeback of the year. Hingis has returned to the elite levels of the game after a three year absence. Martina Hingis has surprised many observers with her good results and recently won the Italian Open final. Another champion, Roger Federer said “I’m very impressed. Here she is, (In the) top 15 after five months. She breaks all the records she sets herself. She doesn’t just say, she does it too”. The article describes how Martina Hingis seems to have overcome an apparent weakness in her service to return to success. Now her self confidence is growing. Hingis said “I know that I can do it again. Now that I did it, so the confidence is on my side. I feel I definitely have it in me.”
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‘Retirement’ can be dirty word for some athletes
17th April 2006
By George Diaz
An interesting and challenging story discussed the difficult issue of the timing of an athlete’s retirement. How do you know when you should retire from a sport? Choosing a time to retire is complex and problematic for many sports competitors, especially at an elite level. The article quoted prominent sports psychologist Leonard D. Zaichkowsky of Boston University who said “The core of the answer is identity as an athlete”. He added “They enjoy the emotions and intense feeling of competing at the highest level. Nothing gives them the same rush and a social recognition that goes with it”. The article raises many common reactions experienced by athletes approaching the end of their careers including denial and feelings of anger and rejection. One of the keys to managing these intense feelings is awareness of the important issues.
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The best athletes are the ones who overcome
8th March 2006
By Steve Czaban
This thought-provoking article discusses the large number of athletes who have needed to overcome adversity to become successful on the sporting field. The writer describes the joy and admiration of watching such athletes compete. Many competitors, for instance, have been forced to overcome potential career-ending injuries to achieve their greatest victories. Steve Czaban quotes examples like Hermann Maier, Jim Abbott, Dan Jansen and Michael Jordan who have all triumphed over adversity to win renewed admiration and respect. Not all the success stories are household names. The article tells the amazing story of autistic teenager Jason McElwain who has assisted as the manager of his school basketball team. Jason had never played in the actual team but was given the opportunity in the final game of the season. At the conclusion of the game, the inspiring teenager hit six three point shots and was carried off the court.
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Player fulfills age-old dream
12th Feb 2006
Associated Press
Think you are too old to compete? This fascinating article might make you think again. A 52-year-old, Charles Bickford, has overcome arthritic knees, a strained Achilles tendon as well as a hernia to win selection for several college basketball games. Charles Bickford has won acceptance and is a crowd favorite despite being even older than the team coach. Bickford is a registered nurse and is completing a bachelor’s degree at the University of Maine at Augusta. In October 2005, Charles Bickford received an invitation to try out for the college team and was successful. He has since competed in several games. Bickford did not see his age as a barrier and understood the importance of taking opportunities. He commented that “I’m not planning to be a high second-round pick in the NBA draft next year. I just wanted to do this for myself. And maybe it will inspire someone else who’s my age to get out and go for a hike today”.
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Miracle girl
12th February 2006
By Fiona Hudson
An article The Sunday Mail told how aerial freestyle skier Alisa Camplin responded to a potentially career-ending injury and earned selection in the Australian team for the Turin Winter Olympics. Camplin’s return would later prove a real life fairy tale when she won a bronze medal for her chosen event in Turin. In the last 2 years Alisa Camplin had two serious knee injuries. She commented to the reporter “When my knee blew out I felt that the rug had been pulled out from under me. It made me realize that you don’t take it for granted, competing at an Olympics”. Twice Camplin would need to start completely from scratch and endure a painstaking rehab process to even get back on the snow. She only had a few short months of full training prior to team selection but she never gave up and kept pursuing her dream. Alisa Camplin’s courage and hard work would be rewarded with an Olympic bronze medal in Turin.
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Chemistry and character crucial components for Steelers’ success
12th February 2006
By Tom Silverstein
This interesting article analyses the recent Super Bowl triumph of the Pittsburgh Steelers. What factors may have explained the success of the Pittsburgh team? Are there useful lessons that other sporting teams might learn? Pittsburgh’s success was achieved against the odds. The Steelers needed to win three playoff road games on the way to the Super Bowl. No team had triumphed in the Super Bowl with a sixth-seeded squad. The article describes how the team had discussed a need to break new ground and not just be limited to repeating the results of history. They would make their own history and be the masters of their own destiny. The Steelers have not been afraid to offer opportunities to young players. Quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is the second-youngest to play in a Super Bowl. The team closely adhered to coach Bill Cowher’s philosophy and executed the game plans to perfection. Throughout the playoffs the team also innovated and applied several trick plays which confused the opposition. Super Bowl MVP Hines Ward looked toward the future and the need for the team to evolve. “We’re probably going to lose some guys this year, bringing us some new free agents. It’s going to be a challenge to simulate what we did this year. As a player you just try to go out and motivate yourself and never be content on what you did in the past. Always look forward to how you can improve on your game”.
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Martina is happy in defeat
26th January 2006
The return of former world number one Martina Hingis to top flight tennis has attracted a great deal of media coverage over recent months. This article reported her thoughts after a defeat at the Australian Open. Martina Hingis retired from the Women’s tennis circuit three years ago. Many experts doubted that she could return to the highest levels of the game. Hingis has proved the doubters wrong. After a series of excellent results, Martina has returned to the top 50 in the world rankings. After her defeat by world number one Kim Clijsters, she told reporters “Under the circumstances losing 6-4 in the third set against the world No. 1 is not bad at all”. Martina added, “Losing to Kim gives me so much to look forward to because it was a tight match at the end”. Hingis concluded, “After three years have passed you can’t just step out there and think you will win everything”.
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Naperville figure skater Lysacek fulfills his life-long dream of making Olympics
17th January 2006
By Lisa Patterson
Many athletes endure many long hours of training and wonder whether it is all going to prove worthwhile. One such athlete is 20-year-old figure skater Evan Lysacek. Lysacek spent many long hours practicing on a freezing ice rink before school and thousands of repetitions of skating drills and routines. All the effort and discipline certainly proved worthwhile. Evan Lysacek finished runner up in the U.S. National Championships and has now fulfilled a life-long dream to compete at the Olympics. Although he narrowly missed first place by less than one point, Evan Lysacek was thrilled to fulfill his goal of Olympic qualification. He told the Beacon News that “I’m so excited to come second in the competition but I know that if one of those minor mistakes I made had not been there, it would have made up that less than one point”. He added “The Olympics has been a lifelong dream of mine”. Difficult challenges lie ahead. Lysacek is looking forward to working even harder and improving his performances. “It’s work that I’ve been waiting my entire life to do, so I’m anxious to get back home and get back on the ice and get some more difficulty in the program”.
