Personal Heroes/Influences

[Calderownz]

Personally, I've got only 3 examples for myself.

1. Richard Dawkins. Intelligent, witty and ground-breaking in many ways. I wouldn't call anyone on this list a "hero" in the traditional sense, but they have definitely had the most impact on my life, aside from family. He's taught me many things on subjects like genetics, science in general, religion and politics.

2. Bernard Hopkins. He is a legitimate bad-ass. Came from nothing, went to prison, was the best fighter in prison and then became a multiple time champion in several weight-classes. He did some horrible things, but he moved passed it and became a better person. A shrewd business man as well.

3. Vince McMahon. To paraphrase Vince, "It's too bad that my step-father died before I had a chance to kill him. I'd have done it, because he needed it. But, he didn't kill me. And if I live I win. Any time he would beat me, if he didn't kill me, fuck him, I won."

That's all there is to it, he reached a new level of bad-ass for me. It's a perfect mentality. I apply it to my life as much as possible.

What about you guys?

 

[Uncle Phatso]

I think my biggest influence was my wrestling coach in school. He's a great dude and lives life to the fullest. He's got some money and a great family. He was all ways pushing me in school to graduate. I wrestled for two years in high school, but he was all ways bugging me my freshman and sophomore years to wrestle. I finally took him up, I was garbage my junior year.

I went 3-3, the next year when I went into school my mom was with me for some reason. I went to the bathroom and came back and they were talking. She was apologizing about me last year not having money for overnight trips. He said it was fine, it was all just a big investment anyways. He told her he needed me as much as I needed him.

He brought in 2 new coaches for me to learn new heavyweight wrestling moves from. He pushed me harder than I've ever been in my life. I don't know how many know it on the forums, but I plan on joining the military. Either the army or the navy. He would catch me slacking off doing push ups or some shit and make a lighter wrestler come over and sit on my back to make them harder. He would set in front of my face and make me do all the push ups over again, with someone on my back.

He was all ways pushing mental toughness with me and the whole team. The first day my junior year I went in and said the big c word to him. I told him I couldn't do 20 push ups without stopping. So from then on it was all ways him yelling mental toughness at me doing push ups or drilling.

I think the biggest thing he did for me was last year at the winter sports awards. My whole school is a bunch of rich kids. The whole wrestling team was pretty rich to, they were all getting applause and whatnot. He came to the most improved wrestler and I was up for it first. He said I turned from a punk into a wrestler, He talked about my temper improving. He brought something else up. He said my mom never graduated high school. But topping it off he said coming from a home with a parent that didn't graduate high school isn't stopping him. He's taking 14 classes this year (I really did) To graduate. He comes from a poor family and wants to make something of himself. The crowd went nuts after he finished his speech for me. They gave me a standing ovation and he came over and gave me a hug. I didn't win the most improved but I did get the coaches award.

I went from a kid who was on probation for almost 6 years, someone who had been in jail, and Done a bunch of bullshit. He turned me from an idiot into a Man. He gave me more than wrestling. He gave me self respect and I'll never forget him for that. He made me into a man who is now Iron Horse tough.