Jim Abbott, a former major league baseball player, recently came to Chelsea High School and gave a speech. During his speech, he talked about his achievements despite the challenges he faced while having a missing hand.
“It was kinda eye-opening because I’ve never struggled with something major like that so I never really understood how impacted my life would be and how different I would have to do things if I was in a situation like that,” said Freshman student Ella Geitzen.
Students from Chelsea High School began to realize how lucky they really were not to have to worry about challenges like Jim Abbott’s. Jim Abbot’s speech enlightened CHS students in many ways. It showed them that they can overcome challenges as well.
“I think Abbott’s speech is very important because it can help show people that there really is no good excuse for anything. Because he had no hand and played baseball and if you want to say you can’t do something just think of his disability and his challenges and how he didn’t let that stop him,” freshman student Avrion Barnes-Gnass said.
Abbott’s speech reminds students that we all face different levels of challenges in life but to not let a challenge get in the way of our lives. Making a big deal about something and feeling sorry for yourself won’t change anything. Abbott reminds us to be grateful for what we have because others might not be as lucky.
“This is the way I was born. This is all I knew, facing challenges. I never wanted to make a big deal about this,” Abbot said. “There are others with much worse situations than me.”
Abbott’s speech changed many students in CHS’s perspectives of the struggle of people with disabilities, but Abbott’s legacy should also inspire people and show them that if you really want something no matter the situation you can accomplish it with no excuses.
“I think it inspired many athletes with disabilities and kind of showed them that even though they might not be able to do things the same way they can still achieve the same things,” freshman student Manning King said.
Although the focus of his speech was on disabled athletes it can also apply to the everyday lives of anyone disabled or not. Abbott’s experiences and the challenges he’s overcome should prove to everyone that you can overcome any challenge.
“It’s a part of my message for you today that we all do things differently,” Abbott said. “You can find your own way of doing things and still do them just as well as anybody else out there, given anything and everything and your job is to make the most of what you’ve been given.”
