The One and The Only Jimmy Valvano
“Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first step to succeeding”. These were the words that the late Jimmy Valvano gave to his audience at the ESPY Awards on March 3rd 1993. The ESPY Awards are sponsored by ESPN each year for those recognized for their achievement in sports. Almost 21 years ago, “Jimmy V” as he was known gave his speech because he was not told to; rather, he gave his speech because he was qualified to influence a revolution. Jimmy Valvano was a prestigious collegiate basketball coach at North Carolina State University. It was at North Carolina State, where he led his Cinderella team to a national championship in 1983. Just nine years later in 1992 he was diagnosed with a rare form of bone cancer that ultimately claimed his life at the age of 47. Shortly before his tragic death he received the Arthur Ashe Award for Courage. After accepting the first Arthur Ashe Award for Courage at the first ESPY awards, Jimmy V went up onto the stage humbled and obviously very weak to deliver something long awaited. Through his effective emotional tone, and overall organization of the speech, Valvano influenced a community to keep on fighting, and never let anything get in the way of chasing ones dreams.
Born to Rocco and Angela Valvano, James Thomas Anthony Valvano was not your typical child. Growing up James was a character. He had crazy aspirations that ultimately shaped who he would become in later decades. When James Valvano was around the age of seventeen he pondered what he wanted to be when he grew up, just like many of his peers at that age. James took a small index card and wrote down everything he wanted to accomplish in his life. On that single index card, James wrote he ...
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...ancer research. “The Jimmy V Foundation” was created and is forever changing cancer research today. Over 100 million dollars has been generated thus far and there will be no stopping there. James Valvano influenced us all that life has it challenges but emphasizes that dreams really do come true if you really want to grab it, take it and never let go. So how do we take Valvano’s words and use them as a stepping-stone to get back in focus in the positive direction? For Jimmy it did not matter if he was terribly weak or at the end of his life but he was able to have found strength to continue his ambitious fight. For the rest of us no matter how tired we are from a tough day at work, long day at school, or economic woes we can take what Jimmy has preached to us, and though adversity we can make changes to ourselves to better prepare us for the present, and the future.
Valvano, Jim. “Arthur Ashe Courage and Humanitarian Award Acceptance Speech.” ESPY Awards. ESPN. New York, March 4, 1993. Speech. Online. http://www.jimmyv.org/about-us/remembering-jim/jimmy-v-espy-awards-speech/
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