Real Life Personal Leaders

High School Students Who Conquered Their Challenges

Everyone Has Problems

No matter who you are, life is not perfect. Sometimes on the outside it might appear some people have perfect or near perfect lives. It is not true. No matter who you are, life is full of challenges. As one of my favorite speakers, Jim Rohn, says it, "The same wind blows on us all."

Sometimes those who achieve the most outward success face some of the greatest struggles. It was only by courageously confronting their problems and overcoming them that they became great in their own right.

Charles Schultz’s Story

If you have lived to be a teenager, then you have read a Charlie Brown comic. Did you know that the character Charlie Brown in the Peanuts cartoons is actually an autobiographical sketch of the past experiences of the illustrator Charles Schultz himself? It might seem hard to believe, but Schultz was once the same insecure, lonely, self-esteem deprived kid he satirizes in his wildly popular comics. What a difference a few years and a lot of hard work and determination can make!

Oprah Winfrey’s Story

Oprah Winfrey has been a household name since the late 1980s when her show first became a hit. She is now one of the wealthiest people in the world and the first African American woman to become a billionaire!

Yet Oprah’s beginnings were as obscure as Abraham Lincoln’s. Born in Kosciusko, Mississippi, she was raised on a farm by her Grandmother.

Oprah suffered molestation and abuse in her younger years as she struggled through a growing up period I wouldn’t wish on anyone. In spite of it all, she recognized that the power over her life still ultimately remained inside her own mind and heart. She understood that no matter what happened to her outside of her control, she still had the sovereignty to rise again and overcome any challenge she was faced with. Today this noble woman is an inspiration to hundreds of millions of people throughout America and the world.

Lebron James’ Story

“King James,” as he is sometimes referred to, has lived up to the incredible hype that surrounded his youthful entry into the NBA, straight out of High School in 2003. One of the rising stars of the world’s greatest basketball league, James, who plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers already has an impressive professional basketball resume though he is only in his early 20s.

Although James’ fame came relatively early in his life, he was far from being born “with a silver spoon in his mouth.” In fact, he actually grew up in poverty and without a father and faced many of the challenges that often accompany single parent homes in lower income neighborhoods. Recognizing he had a special skill on the basketball court, LeBron James’ was able to transcend the many negative influences that tried to drag him down. Through diligence, focus, and hard work, he is now one of the wealthiest and most successful athletes in the world. 

Brent Black's Story

Brent Black, an 18-year old college freshman, had several front teeth knocked out in a four-wheeler accident when he was a sophomore in high school. Because of the severity of the damage involved, he had to go through both his junior and senior years of high school without the most important teeth in your mouth when it comes to looks.

Brent could have become reclusive and never smiled again-and it was a temptation to do so! Mustering a whole lot of courage, Brent decided he wasn't going to let the loss of his teeth stop him from being himself-and his best self. Learning to joke around about his condition, Brent earned more friends than ever before, and became an inspiration to all around him. Instead of his final two years of high school being a miserable experience, they turned out to be memorable and fun as Brent influenced many students throughout his high school and community with his positive response to the circumstances he faced in his life. He will begin college this fall with teeth again for the first time in over two years.

Dave Lewis' Story

Dave Lewis just graduated from high school. He currently manages a Dairy Queen restaurant in his community, he is heading off to college in the fall. At first glance, Dave appears to be a very ordinary young man. Ordinary that is-until you hear his story.

In 8th grade, Dave showed promise as a football player, garnering ten sacks in only two of his games in jr. high. Unfortunately, he separated his shoulder and had to miss his first high school football season. Unbeknownst to Dave, his challenges were just beginning.

In February of his freshman year, Dave was involved in a serious rollover car accident. While still alive, he sustained a severe brain contusion. For the next six months, Dave spent time going to and from the hospital to receive treatment for his injuries. The best news was he was alive. The worst was that he would never play tackle football again-as doing so would risk permanent brain damage-or worse.

Encouraged by his good friend Bryce, Dave decided he would not give up on sports-even though his football dreams had been dashed. A swimmer, Bryce encouraged Dave to come and join the swim team. Dave thought he was crazy. Truth was that Dave was afraid of the water and could barely keep from sinking, much less perform any of the strokes a swimmer must master to actually compete.

Even still, four months after the accident, Dave was in the water. For the next two years he worked hard. If you know anything about competitive swimming you know swimmers work harder than almost any other high school athletes. They train year round. Six months of the year they train twice a day. It was hard to get up at 5:00 in the morning to go to practice-football players don't have to do that-but Dave kept at it.

Dave's first time in the 50 meter freestyle was 52 seconds-which is not very fast by anyone's standards. At the end of that first summer, he had shaved 17 seconds off his initial time. By the region meet of his junior year, he had cut another seven seconds to lower his personal best to 28 seconds. By summer time, Dave swam the 50 meter freestyle in 26 seconds-an excellent time by anyone's standards. With a time like that Dave was in contention to qualify for state.

Then it happened. On July 21, 2004, the summer in between his junior and senior years, Dave was driving his own car with two of his friends when he was T-boned by a vehicle traveling an alleged 80 mph. Dave does not remember the accident. Awaking from a coma 14 days later, he learned the right half of his brain had separated form the left half in an occidental brain injury. His left ear had been torn loose and had to be sewn back and part of the Ford lettering of the oncoming vehicles Bronco had been imprinted on Dave's left cheek. If that wasn't enough, doctors had to cut into his left side to retrieve glass that had penetrated all the way into his lung! Amazingly, he was still alive; he had survived again. At the time of the accident, Dave was three weeks away from beginning his senior year of high school.

The Mercury Cougar Dave Lewis was Driving at the Time of His Accident.

Dave Lewis in a Coma at the Hospital Following His Accident.

Dave again faced an arduous and time-consuming recovery. Instead of becoming discouraged and giving up, Dave became more determined than ever. Working with a private tutor, he kept up with his studies. By November, he was attending two of his classes again: A.P. History and A.P. Literature. By January, he was back in school again full-time.

And what of swimming? Only six weeks after the accident, Dave was back in the pool. On December 18th, he competed in his first meet since the accident. At first, his progress was slow, and it seemed he was right back where he started two and a half years earlier as he turned in a 50 second performance the first time back from his injury. That wasn't good enough for Dave. By the time Region came around his senior year, Dave had lowered his time again into the mid-thirties. Although he didn't qualify for state, his contribution was inspiring to his coach, his team, and everyone who knew him. Most importantly, Dave had done his best-and that is what effective personal leadership is all about.

Swimming is now a part of Dave's past. Learning, growing, and becoming is not. The things Dave has learned through his own personal battles are far more valuable than any state medal he might have received had he not been injured a second time. He recognizes his life is far from over. He knows that although he has conquered many battles in his life, the war is not over, and he must take all he has learned if he is to effectively confront the challenges he will face in the future.

"Stuff happens," says Dave. "The only way you can fail though is if you give up."

At the conclusion of his senior year, Dave was surprised to receive a "hero" award at his school. The award had never been given before. It was unique and singular-for an extraordinary young man who had truly demonstrated through his thoughts, speech, and actions that regardless what happened to him beyond his control, he was still the Captain of his life.

In his characteristic humility, Dave said he didn't feel like he deserved the "hero" award. "I felt more like a survivor than a hero," he said. " I do feel like I can overcome anything now though. If I pray, the Lord will help me to conquer whatever comes to me."

I was inspired by the maturity and sincerity of Dave's mind and heart as I had the honor of interviewing him personally. He is a young man who understands the power of personal leadership. While interviewing him, my final question was: "What is your definition of success." He replied that success is all about "not giving up and being happy with your own accomplishments." I was especially impressed with the maturity of the second part of his answer. As Dave struggled with his personal challenges and obstacles in life, he came to realize the truth that there is always going to be someone bigger, better, stronger, etc., and there are always going to be events and circumstances we can't control. Dave didn't ask to get into two serious car accidents. Yet in the face of incredible adversity beyond his control, he refused to quit being the best he could be even when he knew his chances of beating the competition were slim because of his accident. Dave reached that beautiful point in life where a person realizes the only competition that really matters in life is the competition with oneself. Dave never won a medal at state, but, he might as well have been the state champion because he had won the battle inside himself.