Overcoming Obstacles

Success isn't something you're born into; it's something to strive to reach with every step you make. Bonnie St. John knows that fact all too well. When she trips over a step, she gets back up again. The stereotypes out there say she shouldn't be a success, but she became a successful Olympic skier anyway.

Bonnie St. John was raised by a single mother in San Diego. They were very poor, and what's worse is that Bonnie had to have one of her legs amputated at age five. Without any snow or money, her crazy dream was to be a skier. Her mother was always supportive of her and never tried to compensate for the disability.

Black people don't ski? Black people don't swim? Black people don't golf? Not true! The stereotypes are everywhere. I'm sure the Tiger Woods' of the world would agree! One of Bonnie's motivations for success was always to motivate OTHERS to success. She remembers this goal from as far back as her teens. Today she's one of ten thousand members of an African-American ski club.

A friend from school invited Bonnie to go skiing when they were both just children, and it changed her life forever. Bonnie St. John was the kid nobody liked. She was exempt from PE class, she rode a special bus, and she was teased at recess. Barbara Warmath was different, though. She didn't tease. She encouraged.

To go on the ski trip with her friend that Christmas, Bonnie had only a few short weeks to overcome several obstacles. Embarrassment wasn't an option for her. This was before the days of the internet, so Bonnie flipped through the Yellow Pages looking for inexpensive snow gear. Most of her gear ended up coming from the Salvation Army.

Skiing isn't easy for someone with two good legs, so it's no surprise that Bonnie had a horrible time getting started. Her prosthetic leg was a much bigger challenge than she could have imagined, and since she knew nothing about skiing when she acquired her gear, she was left cold and wet by her knit mittens. Bonnie wouldn't trade this experience for the world, though.

Bonnie St. John later found the Ski Club where she was able to find appropriate ski gear and begin training to ski. Eventually, she began racing with other amputees. The more she raced, the more she enjoyed it. The more she trained, the more she wanted to be on the U.S. Olympic Ski Team.

Everyone can be successful, but each of us must face our own obstacles head-on. Some challenges are tougher than others, of course, but with a little creativity and a lot of determination, anything can be overcome. Don't give up on your dreams. Pick yourself up when you fall, and try again.