Have you ever had to attend an event that you almost dread...either due to being so busy, overwhelmed, etc.? Although I love getting out of the house and communicating with adults most of the time, last night was not one of them. There have been MANY events, meetings we have needed to attend pre-Africa and last night I felt overwhelmed. BUT I took a shower got myself ready in a FAST 25 minutes and headed to meet my husband at the college to hear one of the most compelling men I've ever heard, Dr. Richard Lapchick. With his busy schedule he flew from Florida to Des Moines to speak to the team and others. If I begin to list the accomplishments and awards, the blog would blow up. But the people he runs with are Mohammed Ali, Nelson Mandela, and Kareem Abdul-Jabar....just to name a few....maybe you've heard of them:). He is described as the "racial conscience of sport". Not a waste of time to google him to see how he has affected the world in race relations through the area sport. He told stories about working for the United Nations, personally fighting apartheid in South Africa and being the LEADER in the boycott against South Africa in sport. I could go on and on about the different mind-blowing stories he shared in his fight to help others. I will say this man has been beaten to near death with words (a word I can not even bring myself to type)carved in his stomach. In the end he shared in all his years of race relations and sport....35 trips to Africa, he has never seen, been a part of a trip like this and the impact it will hold.
Due to my poor writing it is tough to communicate the gravity of emotion I felt during and after his talk. I have a new appreciation and perspective of what it possibly means to go to the country of Africa, play a Mexican team, teach a country about the most popular sport in America.....serve the people of Africa and then climb the largest free standing mountain in the world. WHAT AN OPPORTUNITY!!! We are told our guys will be looked at like rock stars on this trip....then those "rock stars" will go and serve/help the community of Arusha and Moshi....then those "rock stars" will need to be served/helped on the mountain:). Although I will only be on the first leg of the trip, I can not wait to watch what the guys and others experience...WOW! It 'sTRULY INCREDIBLE to realize the impact you can have when you are on the platform in SPORT!! So thankful I was at the right place at the right time last night!!
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