Every year the International Men’s Day is celebrated (yes, they also have their day). To inspire you to achieve your goals and be able to celebrate when November 19 arrives, we leave you here famous stories of 5 athletes who surpassed themselves and managed to reach the top with hard work and a clear goal. Take the handkerchiefs, a treacherous tear will probably fall from your emotion.
1. Michael Oher (Tenesse, 1986)
Does it sound familiar to you? It’s probably because you’ve seen the movie “A Possible Dream” (2009), starring Sandra Bullock and Quinton Aaron, which is inspired by the life of Michael Oher, current offensive tackle for the Carolina Panthers. As difficult as it may be to believe, this now professional footballer did live a childhood full of deficiencies, as he had 11 siblings, his mother was a crack addict and his father was out of the picture. He even went to sleep on the streets, went through a lot of schools and could barely read. Everything began to change for him when at 16 he met Leigh Anne Tuohy, the woman who welcomed him into her home, made him part of her family and, seeing his potential in sport, did everything possible to help him climb his notes to be recruited.
The story had a “happy ending”, as Michael Oher did enter the University of Mississippi, where he stood out with the Ole Miss Rebels, and was later chosen in the first round of the 2009 NFL Draft by the Baltimore Ravens. Unfortunately Michael was not very happy with the film about his life, as he assures that people no longer see him as a footballer, but as a person who should not have gotten there and that they judge him on issues that have nothing to do with sport.
2. David Beckham (London, 1975)
His father, David Edward Ted Beckham, was a gas company employee and frustrated soccer player, while his mother, Sandra West, was a hairdresser. Since he has two sisters, the family went through financial difficulties several times. From the age of 8 he showed that he had skills with the ball, so he began to play for the neighborhood team. At the age of 11 he won a contest that was held at Old Trafford, in which he broke a record for the number of points he obtained and won two weeks of training with the promises of the Masía del F.C. Barcelona.
Despite the above, it took David Beckham a long time to reach the top. At the end of training he was not chosen to stay on the team, but he did not give up. He started playing for Leytonstone and entered Essex School to perfect his movements. Shortly after, his efforts paid off, as in 1991 he was signed by Manchester United for the lower leagues, but at first he had to stay in foster homes while he played. Fortunately, the bomb of stardom did not take long to explode. In 1994 he scored his first goal in the First Division with his team and from then on his exploits (along with his indisputable style) made him an idol and led him to be the leader in the national team. England.
3. Usain Bolt (Sherwood Content, 1986)
He is currently considered one of the fastest men in athletics history, but he had to overcome many obstacles in life to get there. He grew up in a rural area where his parents owned a store and suffered from a shortage of drinking water. Despite this, he spent his time playing soccer and cricket with his brothers and from a very young age he showed that he was much faster than the others. The funny thing is that at first he was especially focused on playing cricket.
His physical abilities were impressive, although his poor diet was a bump in the road. The combination of that with the effort he made when playing or practicing sports caused a deviation in his spine, but that did not stop him. Usain continued with his business until his cricket coach advised him to practice athletics to exploit his talents to the fullest. In 2001 he won his first medal in a high school career and the following year, at 15 years old, he became the youngest to win the World Junior Athletics Championships. The rest is history; he has broken several records and is an Olympic medalist who has inspired thousands of young people around the world.
4. Manny Pacquiao (Kibawe, 1978)
This Filipino boxer is the spitting image of self-improvement. He was born and raised in extreme poverty, as his father drank heavily and often left home to try to earn money, while his mother made what she could by selling peanuts. Although Manny was used to that lifestyle, an event marked him forever: after he picked up a puppy and adopted it, his father came home drunk, killed his pet and ate it in front of he. After that he decided to run away from there and he did. That’s how he got to Manila, where he lived on the streets for a while, but also where he decided to take all that anger to become a good boxer.
Due to his great talent, it did not take long for him to win most of his matches, thus going to compete in the United States. At that time his name began to appear everywhere, a situation that Manny knew how to take advantage of very well. Not content with making millions of dollars as a boxer, he went public and entered politics in his home country. It is worth mentioning that, after almost 20 years of resentment, he forgave his father. He is currently a Welterweight Champion of the World Boxing Association; he plays basketball in his spare time, has his own foundation and even sings.
5. Andy Ruiz (California, 1989)
A few months ago Andy Ruiz was on everyone’s lips, as he became the first Mexican to be a heavyweight champion, even when almost no one believed that he would manage to endure the 12 rounds. Due to his physical appearance, Andy had to deal with bullying from an early age, in addition, he grew up surrounded by gangs and drugs, and his family was of limited resources, since his father was a bricklayer. But that’s not why they didn’t care about him and his future, on the contrary! Just to prevent him from following bad steps, his father boxed him at age 6 almost by force.
His first fight was at age 7 and since there were no boys who weighed the same as him, he had to face bigger boxers. It took a bit of work, but in the end his passion for boxing was born. He made his professional debut at age 19 in Tijuana in a fight that he won by first round knockout. The rest was the result of his talent, hard work, and a touch of luck. In early 2019, Anthony Joshua challenged him after Jarrel Miller tested positive for doping, and you know the rest. It is worth mentioning that despite the fact that Andy Ruiz was born in the United States, he says he is proud of the origin of his parents and his roots. He even has a tattoo that says “Made in Mexico.”
We could bet you are more than surprised, and believe it, like these stories there are many more in the world of sports. Bet on your favorite athletes and teams in Strendus and feel the adrenaline rush this Men’s Day like never before.
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