Mario Lemieux

Hello, my name is Leo Rahey, my hero is Mario Lemieux. He is the person I look up to in life and whom I think demonstrates the characteristics involved in being a hero. In the next few paragraphs I will tell you about my hero and why he is a hero to me.

Mario Lemieux, hockey legend and cancer survivor. Born October 5, 1965 in the city of Montreal, Canada. Mario has a wife named Nathalie and four kids. He resides in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. He is 6’4 and weighs 225 lbs. From 1984 to 1997, Mario Lemieux was the heart of the Pittsburgh Penguins. His ability and desire to succeed make him the greatest all-around player in the game. In 1997, Mario was inducted into the Hockey Hall of Fame, without having to wait the normal three years after retirement. And in November 1997, the number 66 was raised to the rafters of the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh, making him the first Penguins player to have his number retired.

In December of 2000, Mario Lemieux decided to return to the ice after three years of retirement. He joined his fellow teammates on the ice for the first time in more than 3 years on December 27, 2000. The Penguins made the playoffs and did a great job, knocking out both the Washington Capitals and the Buffalo Sabers before being eliminated by New Jersey in Eastern Conference Finals.

Unlike many sports stars of the modern era, Mario Lemieux has become more than just a player on the local team. Mario resides in Pittsburgh and has become a highly visible, community leader in Pittsburgh during the last decade. His accomplishments include the Mario Lemieux Foundation, which sponsors charitable events in the name of cancer research, and the purchasing of the Pittsburgh Penguins out of bankruptcy.

In February 2002, Mario captained Team Canada’s Olympic men’s hockey team to a gold medal in Salt Lake City, Utah. Defeating Team U.S.A by a final score of 5 - 2. Mario shows great leadership, one of the characteristics which makes him my hero.