Although we might not remember, we have failed and have been discouraged many times. We fell down the first time we tried to walk. We almost drowned the first time we tried to swim.

Some people might tell us that we could not do this, we could not do that; that we are not the right person and so on... Some might even try to pull us down if they have the opportunity because that would make them feel important and superior.

Challenges, discouragements and failures do not stop those of us who have the determination to improve our lives because we know that our greatest glory is not in never failing, but in rising up every time we fail. We should only worry about the chances we miss if we fail to try.

The story of Wilma Rudolph teaches us that our success and limitations are based, most often, on our own expectations for ourselves because what the mind dwells upon, the body acts upon.

There was a little girl who was born into a very poor family in a shack in the Backwoods of Tennessee. She was the 20th of 22 children, prematurely born and frail. Her survival was doubtful.

When she was four years old, she had double pneumonia and scarlet fever – a deadly combination that left her with a paralyzed and useless left leg. She had to wear an iron leg brace. Yet she was fortunate in having a mother who encouraged her.

Well, this mother told her little girl, who was very bright, that despite the brace and leg, she could do whatever she wanted to do with her life. She told her that all she needed to do was to have faith, persistence, courage and an indomitable spirit.

So at nine years of age, the little girl removed the leg brace, and she took the step the doctors told her she would never take normally. In four years, she developed a rhytmic stride, which was a medical wonder. Then this girl got the notion, the incredible notion, that she would like to be the world’s greatest woman runner. Now, what could she mean – be a runner with a leg like that?

At age 13, she entered a race. She came in last – way, way last. She entered every race in high school, and in every race she came in last. Everyone begged her to quit! However, one day, she came in next to last. And then there came a day when she won a race. From then on, Wilma Rudolph won every race that she entered.

Wilma went to Tennessee State University, where she met a coach named Ed Temple. Coach Temple saw the indomitable spirit of the girl, that she was a believer and that she had great natural talent. He trained her so well that she went to the Olympic Games.

There she was pitted against the greatest woman runner of the day, a German girl named Jutta Heine. Nobody had ever beaten Jutta. But in the 100-meter dash, Wilma Rudolph won. She beat Jutta again in the 200-meters. Now Wilma had two Olimpic gold medals.

Finally came the 400-meter relay. It would be Wilma against Jutta once again. The first two runners on Wilma’s team made perfect handoffs with the baton. But when the third runner handed the baton to Wilma, she was so excited she dropped it, and Wilma saw Jutta taking off down the track. It was impossible that anybody could catch this fleet and nimble girl. But Wilma did just that! Wilma Rudolph had earned three Olympic gold medals.

Our ideals are like stars, we will not succeed in touching them with our hands, but like the seafaring man on the desert of waters, we choose them as our guides, and following them, we reach our destiny.

By Tim Pedrosa