Jim Valvano was a well known and respected college basketball coach. He was most known for leading NC State to the national title in 1983. After his retirement from coaching, he became an incredible sportscaster. He, teamed with Dick Vitale, made for some of the best color commentary during a basketball game
As Jim battled cancer, he attended the 1993 ESPY show to accept a lifetime acheivement award for his coaching and broadcasting career. This is where he made the famous “Don’t give up, don’t ever give up” speech. It’s truly one of the most touching speeches ever. Not only because he was so loved, but because he was losing his battle with cancer, and everyone in the room knew it. He passed away at the age of 47.
"Time is very precious to me. I don’t know how much I have left. And I have some things that I would like to say…
How do you get through life?
Each day it’s the same thing…
#1 is laugh. You should laugh every day.
#2 is think. You should spend some time in thought.
#3 you should have your emotions moved to tears….But think about it, if you laugh, you think, you cry - that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day…
Enjoy your life - the precious moments you have…
(Quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson) - “Nothing great can be accomplished without enthusiasm”…
Keep your dreams alive in spite of problems, whatever you have. Now, I look at where I am now and I know what I want to do. What I would like to be able to do is spend whatever time I have left, and to give maybe some hope to others.
the idea of hope - don’t ever quit. Don’t EVER give up!
…Never stop believing and loving in each other, and you can accomplish miracles.
Cancer has taken away a lot of my physical abilities…What cancer cannot touch is my mind, my heart, and my soul.
I have hope in God that things might get better for me.
…With hope, and faith, and belief, and what hard work and coaching can do"
"Time is very precious to me. I don’t know how much I have left. And I have some things that I would like to say…
How do you get through life?
Each day it’s the same thing…
#1 is laugh. You should laugh every day.
#2 is think. You should spend some time in thought.
#3 you should have your emotions moved to tears….But think about it, if you laugh, you think, you cry - that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day…
Enjoy your life - the precious moments you have…
(Quoting Ralph Waldo Emerson) - “Nothing great can be accomplished without enthusiasm”…
Keep your dreams alive in spite of problems, whatever you have. Now, I look at where I am now and I know what I want to do. What I would like to be able to do is spend whatever time I have left, and to give maybe some hope to others.
the idea of hope - don’t ever quit. Don’t EVER give up!
…Never stop believing and loving in each other, and you can accomplish miracles.
Cancer has taken away a lot of my physical abilities…What cancer cannot touch is my mind, my heart, and my soul.
I have hope in God that things might get better for me.
…With hope, and faith, and belief, and what hard work and coaching can do"
1 Comment:
the words truly touched me... i wish even i could live my life with the same spirit... i still weep in my weakest moments... feel cheated and restless... hmmm...
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