Photo courtesy of Clate Schmidt Clate Schmidt has always been known as a man of faith. A devout believer, the former Clemson pitcher believed things always happened for a reason. He prayed on his decisions, including the one he made to play in college despite being a sure first round pick in the 2012 MLB draft. Schmidt had [...]
Photo courtesy of Doug Cornfield By Alaa Abdeldaiem Dave Clark didn’t know if he would ever get his chance. A polio survivor, Clark was without full use of his legs, and his stunted growth was an obstacle in the way of pursuing his dream of playing professional baseball. He did everything on crutches and wore leg braces [...]
Photo: Lilmistydiaz/Instagram By Alaa Abdeldaiem Misty Diaz has never been one to believe in limitations. Despite being born with Myelomenigocele–a birth defect in which the backbone and spinal canal do not close before birth–the 31-year-old Bakersfield, California, native refuses to settle, embracing what she calls a “fighter mentality.” “Anything is possible,” Diaz said. “Turtle speed is still [...]
Photo: Kyle Maynard/Instagram By Alaa Abdeldaiem There was a moment in Kyle Maynard’s life when his future was filled with uncertainty. Growing up, the Fort Wayne, Indiana, native had a mind full of dreams. He’d be a police officer, he told his teachers in preschool. A firefighter. An NBA star, one that would lead his home-state Pacers [...]
Sanders taking first at the 2013 Subaru Ironman 70.3 Muskoka. Photo: finisherpix.com By Alaa Abdeldaiem Lionel Sanders had to pinch himself to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. The 27-year-old triathlete had just completed a 140.6-mile course at the Ironman World Championship in Kona, Hawaii, a race he had been dreaming of competing in since he first started running [...]
By Alaa Abeldaiem "This is it." As the final seconds of the 2011 NCAA 125-pound national title match ticked away, those were the words that ran through then-Arizona State wrestler Anthony Robles’ head. For years, he had dreamed of winning a title, and with a 7-1 lead against Iowa’s defending champion Matt McDonough, Robles couldn’t help but smile, hearing [...]