Lionel Andres Messi

A modern day hero is one who sets a good example for the community in more than one way. They are successful despite growing up with struggles and difficulties. They are selfless towards anyone and doesn't expect an award, and they give back to the community. Lionel Messi sets a good example for all of these traits. He went through struggles in his life including health and financial issues, and other people putting him down, but still grew up to be a successful soccer player. He's giving back to the community by making his own foundation, because of this, Lionel Messi sets a good example as a modern day hero.

Lionel Messi, after scoring, for Barcelona FC (http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/football/news/watch- ())

Lionel Andrés Messi was born on June 24, 1987 in Rosario Argentina. Although the professional soccer player is now fit and healthy, he wasn't always like that, when Messi was eleven, he was diagnosed with a growth hormone deficiency (GHD), which made him appear much smaller than his age. Messi began a treatment, which lasted for three years, "Every night I had to stick a needle into my legs, night after night after night, everyday of the week, and this over a period of three years." The treatment was successful, but expensive. The total cost of the treatment ended up being around 54,000 dollars, money that the Messi family didn't have. It's very common for a child to enroll in a sport at a young age but Messi was different, Messi excelled at soccer, because of this, his parents didn't have to pay for his treatment. Spanish soccer club, Barcelona FC agreed to pay Messi's treatment. In return, Messi would play for their youth academy. At the young age of 13, Messi flew from his home country of Argentina to Spain, and began playing the Spanish club. Now Messi is one of the best paid proffessional soccer players, and has won four Ballon D'or despite his GHD.

https://www.worldwish.org/en/news/leo-messi-brings ()

Lionel Messi is a person who is admirable and helpful. Even though he is very successful, he still takes the time to take part in charity foundations. "For my part, I try to do my bit to make people's lives more bearable, in particular children across the globe who are having problems," Lionel has commented. He created the Leo Messi Foundation in 2007. The charity's goal is to help disadvantaged children get access to education and health care. His foundation works to pay for the costs of the treatments. Along with constructing his own foundation, he was the Goodwill Ambassador in 2010 for UNICEF where he supported children's rights. Lionel has definitely proven to be selfless and really takes action to help others. Because of the part that he's taken in UNICEF and his work with his foundation, many children will get the support they need. He has made a difference in the lives of others, which is why our group feels he's admirable and helpful.

http://www.conmebol.com/en/content/leo-messis-foun ()

To many people, Lionel Messi is just another successful athlete, but Lionel Messi could also be considered a hero. Just because Lionel Messi has a very good income salary, that doesn't mean that he forgets about others. Messi donates a very generous amount of money for different charities, especially to the ones who help kids in Argentina. Growing up Messi's family wasn't at all rich, or wealthy, they couldn't even afford to pay for Messi's treatment. Messi is now part of Make A Wish foundation, which allows him to meet his fans as it's their dying wish to meet the soccer star. Unlike other athletes Messi doesn't try to hide his past, he actually embraces it and helps out. A hero isn't just a character in a piece of fiction. A hero doesn't need to have super powers. A hero can be as simple as an ordinary every day person making a difference in the world. That's exactly what Lionel Messi is doing, he's giving back to the community by helping the kids in need. 

Lionel Messi can be chosen as a modern day hero because he makes a positive difference in the world. He uses his success as a platform to give back. He is one of the world's highest-paid athletes (about $21 million per year through 2018), and he uses his money to help out. In 2013, he donated 600,000 to restore a children's hospital, Victor J Vilela Children's Hospital, in Argentina. It's acts like this that make him a hero. He is a giving person and a role model for people everywhere. Also, despite the odds being against him, he was still able to achieve his dream and become an extremely successful soccer player. Like his coach at Newell's, Gabriel Digeralamo, said "Technically he was gifted like no one boy I have ever seen." Lionel is very very talented and he wasn't going to let his growth hormone deficiency, his parents' financial issues, or any other struggles life threw at him hold him back. "Week after week after week, every day before going to sleep. Seven days in one leg, seven days in the other," stated his former team-mate, Gerardo Grighini, explaining how Lionel had to administer his injections. Even when he was a kid, Lionel had a determined mind. For these reasons, Lionel Messi was chosen as a modern day hero.

To conclude, Lionel Messi sets a good example as a modern day hero. He is successful even though he grew up with struggles and difficulties, he is selfless towards anyone and doesn't expect an award, and he gives back to the community. He went through struggles in his life including health and financial issues, and other people putting him down, but still grew up to be a successful soccer player, and he gave back to the community by making his own foundation. It's clear how Lionel Messi sets a good example as a modern day hero.