Malcolm X once said, “There is no better than adversity. Every defeat, every heartbreak, every loss, contains its own seed, its own lesson on how to improve your performance the next time.” In the face of overwhelming adversity, what gives me the cause to hope? Ever since I was little I have been competitive in all different levels and types of sports, many of which I have stared right into the face of adversity. Injuries, family problems, and being strewn out between 400 miles of highway between Tennessee and Georgia have given me plenty of reason to give up on my sports…my true passion and desire. Did I give up? Did I let the face of adversity tear me down? No. I let my desire to persevere build me up even stronger. Instead of adversity staring me in the face, I was the one staring into adversity’s face. I have been asked, “What gives me the cause to hope?” Being able to prove to myself and others that I am capable of withstanding and overcoming any obstacle that life and adversity throws at me, is what gives me the cause to hope. I have learned over the years that no matter how hard or how massive the obstacle, if you believe in yourself and have faith in you and your abilities, you will persevere. You have to be wondering, it cant just be the desire to prove myself that gives me cause to hope, what else could it be? I have faith in myself and in my character traits. I know that everything I am faced with I will fight with the heart of a C.H.A.M.P.I.O.N. To me the word C.H.A.M.P.I.O.N. means: Courage, Hard Work, Attitude, Motivation, Perseverance, Integrity, Outstanding, and Desire to be Number One. I truly believe that when I am facing adversity in the face that I will prove myself and fight with the heart of a C.H.A.P.I.O.N. I agree with Scott Hamilton when he says this, “Adversity, and perseverance and all these things can shape you. They can give you a value and a self-esteem that is…
