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Michael Ennis. Jason Akermanis. Kevin Muscat. Each inspiring on the field in his own way, but would you want to model yourself, or your children, after them?
I probably wouldn’t, but Aker’s new career as a motivational speaker (seriously) might convince me yet.
‘Inspiration’ is a term carelessly thrown about in an age where anyone can set up their own blog and design petitions to take pies and chips off the canteen menus at local primary schools.
The weight of the word is lessened each time Gus Gould raves breathlessly about another young battler from the Western suburbs who makes first grade.
To me, an inspirational person makes me want to improve myself. In one of my uni sharehouses, we had a poster of a shirtless Cristiano Ronaldo stapled to the wall of our shed/gym. Is Cristiano’s six-pack an inspiration?
Major League Eating Champion Joey Chestnut, the man who downed 69 hot dogs in 10 minutes, is impressive, certainly, but is he any more than borderline inspirational?
The answer to both is of course subjective, but to be truly inspirational requires a special feat that moves people in a positive way, and challenges them to improve themselves.
Glenn McGrath
‘Pigeon’ is a legend of the game. His 563 Test wickets put him fourth in the list of all-time wicket takers, behind spinners Shane Warne, Muttiah Muralitharan and Anil Kumble.
McGrath spurred a generation of young cricketers to pick up the red leather and bowl at a remarkably consistent line, length and tepid speed.
In that sense alone, his contribution to the sport in Australia is priceless, and earns him the ‘inspiration’ badge. However, the most inspiring thing about McGrath is the manner in which he dealt with his first wife’s battle with breast cancer.
Glenn and Jane founded the McGrath Foundation in 2002, following Jane’s diagnosis and recurrent battles with metastatic breast cancer. Jane eventually succumbed to the cancer, passing away in June 2008.
The foundation funds McGrath Breast Care Nurses all around Australia to increase awareness among young women and to support those families already affected by the disease. As of May 2014, 98 nurses have been placed in various locations around Australia.
McGrath’s on-field heroics are probably what he will be most remembered for, but his work with the McGrath Foundation is truly inspiring.
Not only has Glenn and Jane’s vision helped 25,000 Australian families already, but it shows that no matter how successful the sportsman became, he was just a country kid who grew up to love and lose a woman that meant the world to him.
David Beckham
To properly understand the gravity of David Beckham’s inspirational career and philanthropy, one must be reminded of his scope.
‘David Beckham’ is a brand – just as recognisable as Coca-Cola or Manchester United. His only parallel in western sport is Michael Jordan, and potentially the aforementioned Ronaldo in years to come.
At various times throughout his career he was the highest-paid player in the world, and since his retirement following last year’s foray into Ligue 1, his income has not noticeably taken a hit. In 2013, he earned $US50.6 million.
Beckham’s lifetime ambassadorial deal with Adidas, signature perfume range, three-year deal with watchmaker Breitling, and his paid role as a promoter for the Chinese Super League will ensure that he and his family will never go hungry.
Many pundits, who cynically believe it was a move to further improve his brand name around the world, have labeled his five-month stint in Paris a ‘publicity stunt’. Beckham donated every cent of his wage to a local children’s charity.
A quick browse of his Look to the stars profile will show you just how many charities he supports. It’s far too many to list. The Victoria and David Beckham Charitable Trust, his own charity, was set up to provide wheelchairs for children with no means to obtain a wheelchair.
Much of his charity work is centred around children, and as such, Beckham has been named as a UNICEF ambassador.
Beckham clearly intends to use his image and influence for good, and he does it quietly too. His charitable behaviour would be inspirational in anyone else, but coming from a man who could be sorely tempted to be arrogant and self-centred, it is special indeed.
Tahmina Kohistani
The 25-year-old sprinter from Afghanistan will never be remembered for winning a medal at the 2012 London Olympics. She probably won’t leave an impression in the annals of sprinting history, or earn a sponsorship deal with a multi-national sports brand.
What Kohistani will be remembered for is being one of the very few Muslim women to compete at the Olympic Games, and inspiring Muslim women around the world, especially in her native Afghanistan, to do the same.
The then-23-year-old ran in a hijab, a long-sleeved top, full-length compression tights and running shorts to conform to the Islamic modesty laws.
The garments, along with the striking lack of training, facilities, and support, led to Kohistani finishing last, with a time of 14.42 seconds. However, this was a personal best time for Kohistani, and a victory in itself.
Suffering months of heckling and harassment from Muslim men while training in the lead-up to the Games, the warm reception she received in London would have moved anyone to tears.
After the race, she said, “I faced a lot of challenges in my training for the London Olympics.
“Whenever I train there’s a lot of people who want to disturb me. They say ‘just leave these things, it’s not good for Afghan females to do these things.'”
But the memories of the jeers from the men in her hometown will surely pale in comparison to the noisy welcome she was treated to at London’s Olympic Stadium; Kohistani plans to return to the Games in Brazil, and wants her compatriots to come with her.
“I have a message for the women of Afghanistan. Come and join Tahmina because I need your support.
“We must be ready for the next Olympics, we should have more athletes in the next Olympics. I’m going to do my best to be in Brazil, I am going to give reason for other athletes to follow my way.”
Now if that’s not inspirational, call me Gus Gould.
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