Colts inspire beyond the football field | Barry Aldworth
“As we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.” – Marianne WilliamsonThe world of sport is often viewed as being focused on the individual, and often seen to be doing little for the society which surrounds it. However once in a while we hear of a story which highlights what we as individuals and as a society can achieve by working together. While the sport of American football may not be popular on this side of the Atlantic, a particular battle in Indianapolis is garnering worldwide attention. Not a battle for a win, or a trophy, or for reputation, but a battle to raise awareness for the ongoing fight against the vile disease that is Cancer.“With the first pick of the 2012 NFL Draft, the Indianapolis Colts select… Andrew Luck.” For the once great team of Indianapolis, the selection of one of college football’s best ever, was meant to signal a new era. This would be an era of rebuilding, an era not of immediate success, but of a bright future. Many predicted this team to win, at the very most, two games in its 16 game season. By week three, having only won one game, it seemed those who predicted a poor season would be right. The likelihood of this became even greater when, out of nowhere, head coach Chuck Pagano was diagnosed with leukaemia. This was surely the end of any hope the team had of a decent season. Well as it turned out for the Colts, the season was only just starting.The week following the diagnosis, the team did what no one expected them to do, beat one of the best teams in the league, the Green Bay Packers.However the Colts did not stop there, going on to start a four game winning streak. As a result, the team is now a near certainty to make the playoffs, something most felt wouldn’t happen for another two years at least.
Greater than anything sport can ever achieve however, the term #Chuckstrong was born, as the team jumped head first into a huge fundraising effort. Not only did players hand over pay checks, but heads were shaved and jerseys and tickets auctioned off, all to raise money for leukaemia research. While the drive to raise money is still ongoing, for many it culminated on November 25th. That Tuesday two cheerleaders, working in a profession which demands beauty, shaved their heads in front of the match day crowd, having vowed to do so if 20,000 dollars was raised on any match day. Overall 250,000 dollars has been raised through an amazing community effort.What about Pagano, you might be wondering. Well the coach is still going through treatment but his cancer has been diagnosed as in remission. And to anyone who says the world of sport gives nothing back to society, I challenge you to search on YouTube “Chuck Pagano speech” and not be moved by the raw emotion found in the first result you will find. To quote the man himself, “I’ve got circumstances, but they’re already beat... My vision now that I’m living, is to dance at two more weddings and hoist that Lombardi trophy several times”[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3I9UsfDZLyQ]Ultimately this isn’t a typical sports story; in fact this isn’t really your typical story. Instead it serves to highlight that the individual can achieve so much, but as a group we can achieve so much more. You are not disabled by the disabilities you have, you are enabled by the abilities you have. Throughout life every person will face their own individual challenges, but with persistence, with support, we shall overcome.