Glenn Cunningham

On February 9th of 1917, Glenn Cunningham's life changed forever, and was never the same. Glenn lived a normal life; he had a older brother named Floyd, a mom, and a dad. He was a sprinter, but all that changed in a schoolhouse fire on that dreaded day. Glenn survived the schoolhouse fire but he was severely injured. When his bandages were removed, nine days after the fire, his right leg was close to three inches shorter than his left leg. His toes on his left foot were almost burned completely off. His legs were in serious critical condition, and his older brother, Floyd, passed away nine days after the fire. Family, friends, and doctors all believed that because of his condition he would not be able to ever walk again. The doctors wanted to amputate his legs because they thought that it would be easier for him to cope with, rather than having legs that didn't work they thought he should have no legs.

Even though all these traumatic things had happened to Glenn, he wasn't going to give up. He vowed to himself that he would make his legs work and carry him again, someday. After almost two years Glenn could finally walk again. Glenn persisted in everything once he could walk again, when people stopped believing in him he was determined even more. Glenn was young so he had more power and energy to push himself with and be confident and determined with. Glenn's mother used to watch Glenn from the inside of their house while he was outside trying to regain his walking ability. "His mother was not the reason for him being able to walk again", he pushed himself and made himself be that way, he had the determination. No one had it for him.

People used to make fun of him because of his inability to walk. When people mocked him he used that as more determination to walk and run and be faster than everyone else. When he could first walk he would hold onto a rail or a bed and steady himself and walk back and forth to strengthen his legs. Glenn set the world record for the received induction into the Kansas Sports Hall of Fame. Glenn believed that "success is how high you bounce when you hit the bottom."

Glenn was a great man who even when people didn't believe in him and all fell apart for him, he kept his head up and pretty much said Watch Me, when they doubted him. I can't imagine how hard it would be for me, as a runner to have my toes and parts of my leg burnt off and lose a close family member but then still push through all that and put it all behind me. Glenn had determination and he was a one of a kind runner. He pushed through all that was set before him as barriers, the odd looks, the discouraging remarks, and the disbelief and still overcame the impossible!

On February 9th of 1917 Glenn Cunningham's life changed. Many people didn't believe in him. People called him useless and were not helpful. And people made fun of him. Glenn didn't let that or those people discourage him or tell him how life was going to be, instead he pushed past it, took it to the extreme, and showed those people who doubted him what he was really made of. He had no help from his parents or anyone else. His brother was gone and he was alone. Glenn's life changed, but he changed it for the better.