The Voice of Scott Hamilton

1007 Words3 Pages

“It comes right here, 3 ½ revolution, triple axel, double toe loop… beautifully landed,” a voice in the background exclaims as an elegant skater gracefully lands her jump on the ice. That background voice has been heard by thousands, but many don’t know who it belongs to. It belongs to a petite male, who had awed a great number of people with his vigorous jumps on the Olympic ice skating rink. That voice belongs to Scott Hamilton, who grew up being made fun of, who overcame a number of health problems, who took the challenges life struck him with, for granted. Scott Hamilton is not only considered one of the best figure skaters of all time, but he is also a great role model, because despite the fact that he had a tough childhood, nonstop Olympic practice to deal with, and then later a cancer and brain tumor diagnosis; he always kept a good attitude and determination. Scott Scovell Hamilton was born on August 28, 1958, in Toledo Ohio. Six weeks later, he was adopted by a couple who had trouble having children; Ernest Hamilton – a professor at Bowling Green State University, and Dorothy Hamilton – a second grade school teacher. Scott grew up in the city of Bowling Green with his adoptive parents, his older sister, who was their biological daughter, and his younger brother, who was also adopted. At first it seemed as if he was a strong, healthy kid, but that was until his parents noticed that he wasn’t developing like the other children. At around two or three years, he mysteriously stopped growing. For a long time, the toddler was taken in and out of hospitals, being misdiagnosed many times. Scott recalled this period in his life as, “…a lot of time alone at a very early age, which was scary… I was surrounded by strangers in a ver... ... middle of paper ... ... greatest gift I could’ve gotten, because it made everything else possible.” The benign tumor was completely removed, but returned six years later. Scott Hamilton is a genuinely talented figure skater and terrific role model, who kept a positive attitude and determination throughout his tough childhood, overwhelming amounts of practice, and throughout a cancer diagnosis and brain tumor. Instead of looking back at his illnesses with sorrow, he is proud of where they took him. His cancer battle got him a chance to found the C.A.R.E.S. Initiative (Cancer Alliance for Research, Education and Survivorship) where he speaks to people who are battling cancer just like he was. He works as a motivational speaker in many other events across the country. Continuing to live positively, Scott Scovell Hamilton said, “I know that the only true disability in life is a bad attitude.”

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