Please bare with me as I must indulge in one more serious piece before I get back to smacking spoiled professional athletes.
ESPN ran a story on this young man from western Pennsylvania by the name of John Challis, and I had to put it out there for everyone else to appreciate. John recently graduated from Freedom high school a member of the varsity baseball team, but that's not the accomplishment that this 18 year old should be most proud of.
You see, John is an inspiration. Not to a few friends or his immediate family. He's an inspiration to all of us. John lives his life by this simple equation...Courage + Believe = Life. As he puts it, "If you have the Courage to do something and Believe you can do it...that's Living!"
Ironic that John should be such an authority on living as that's the one thing he is not guaranteed to do for very much longer!
John has Cancer, in his liver and in his lungs. His 5'5" 93 pound frame has been given 2 months to live...but in John's eternal optimism he tells his mother that he thinks he can stretch it out to at least 2 more years!
John has spent the better part of the last year talking to his class mates, team mates, opposing players, coaches, the media and even his father about the way he approaches his life and giving them things they can take away from those discussions and apply to their own lives.
He stays up late every night with his father mentoring him on topics ranging from what he wants people to learn from his life after he's gone to how his dad needs to watch his weight because he needs to be there for the rest of the family.
When asked what makes him mad John says, "If I'm mad at anything in this, it's that I'm not going to be able to have a son, I'm not going to be able to get married and have my own house," he said, fighting back tears again. "Those are the things I'm mad about. But not dying". "Life aint about how many breaths you take it's what you do with those breaths that matters."
John doesn't just talk the talk...he walks the walk! As the season was winding down, John told his baseball coach that he'd really like to play in 1 more competitive game before his high school career was over. Coach Wetzel granted John his wish. In the 4th inning of a close ballgame John was inserted as a pinch hitter with a man on third. First pitch swinging, John hit a line drive into right field. One more obstacle presented itself to John as he realized he now has to run to first base. A task that is not so easy now that the cancer has spread to his pelvis. After a few tense seconds, the crowd collectively holding their breath, John arrives at first base...safe...with a run scoring single. Without a dry eye in the house the entire field erupts in applause. Players and coaches from both teams pour out of the dugouts to give John personal congratulations. Realizing his dream of playing and contributing in one last game with his team, John let out a huge yell "I did it...I did it!"
Yes you did John, you've done more than you will ever know!
-Coop
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