Jesse Owens

Jesse Owens, 1936 Olympics, Germany

One of the heroic qualities of Jesse Owens is courage. What did he have courage to do? Go to Berlin, Germany, for the Olympics in 1936, while Hitler was in power. Jesse Owens was African American, and Hitler was obviously racist. Jesse had the courage to show the world that he was capable of doing anything that anybody else could do. And that's exactly what he did. This affects my life by making me stronger emotionally. It pushes me to become a better athlete every time I play. His courage makes me strive to be the best that I can be. Whenever I'm feeling down, I'll be reminded of Jesse and what he had to go through to achieve his goals.

Another quality he had was strength - emotionally and physically. Even though Jesse belonged to a poor family, he had the strength to fulfill his dreams. This inspires me greatly. It forces me to play my hardest, be the fastest, and work, work, work. It also makes me encourage and cheer on my teammates to help them reach their dreams. Strength on the inside and strength on the outside build me up to a higher level in athletics.

Determination is the final quality of Jesse Owens. Did you know that Jesse set three world records and tied a fourth, all in just a 45 minute time span? Imagine how much determination it would take to accomplish that! This quality assists me in stepping up to be a leader. It also helps me in turning my anger into determination and intensity. Jesse Owens is a great role model for me and has affected me a lot. By his heroic qualities, I hope to become the best athlete I can be.