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Overcoming Obstacles

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Written by Healthy Wealthy nWise

Wednesday, 16 July 2008

by HealthyWealthynWise

Success isn't something you're born into; it's something to strive to reach with every step you make. Bonnie St. John knows that fact all too well. When she trips over a step, she gets back up again. The stereotypes out there say she shouldn't be a success, but she became a successful Olympic skier anyway.

Bonnie St. John grew up very poor. She was a black girl from San Diego being raised by a single mother. Worse still, she was an amputee. Her leg was taken from her when she was five years old. Although she had no money and no snow, she longed to be a skier. Her mother actually encouraged her in this crazy idea.

Black people don't ski? Black people don't swim? Black people don't golf? Not true! The stereotypes are everywhere. I'm sure the Tiger Woods' of the world would agree! One of Bonnie's motivations for success was always to motivate OTHERS to success. She remembers this goal from as far back as her teens. Today she's one of ten thousand members of an African-American ski club.

As a child, a friend named Barbara Warmath invited Bonnie St. John on a ski trip with her family over Christmas. This wasn't just any old invitation. Keep in mind that Bonnie was the girl who was exempt from PE classes, rode a special bus, and was teased by the other kids. This trip was the chance of a lifetime from someone who was a true friend.

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 definitely did NOT come naturally to Bonnie St. John. She could barely hop or walk without her prosthesis, so skiing was a much bigger challenge than she had anticipated. She didn't even know what gear to buy, so her hands were freezing in the wet, knit mittens from all the falls. Bonnie enjoyed the challenge, though. To her, this was fun.

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.

We can all be successful, no matter what the challenge we face. Some people have harder barriers to break than others, and some people are more creative at breaking those barriers than others, but in the end, we all have the same chance. Never give up. Never let your dreams die. Get up when you fall, and have patience.

About the Author:

Do you possess the motivation to succeed? Bonnie St. John overcame immense obstacles to fulfill her passions. Go to Bonnie St. John to see how you can learn from her experiences.

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