PELE

Pele's hardworking mentality brought him from rags to riches. He was born in a very poor family yet he still made his way into a position of high authority. Most people would give up on goals set that high, but not Pele. According to SUCCESS, "None of Pele's success happened by chance. As soon as he started to walk, he was playing soccer. While other kids were running around the playground, Pele was working on his craft. By the time he was 14, he was already participating in major tournaments and would turn pro just a year later." No matter how high the odds were stacked against Pele, he found a way to conquer them. He knew that with hard work anything is possible, and he is living proof of this. Pele believes that it is his hard work and determination that changed him from nothing into the king of soccer. Actions speak louder than words and in Pele's case, this is true. Hillstrom wrote that "Pele...worked hard to apply all of the coach's suggestions. He often arrived at practice earlier than, and stayed later than, his teammates in order to develop a variety of skills. "(19) Pelé has said so himself that he doesn't believe anyone was born to play soccer and worked hard to achieve his goal. For Pele, practice didn't end until he felt like he was satisfied with what he had done. Many cannot say that they had the same determination he had, but many cannot say that they accomplished the same feat he had either. When The Talks interviewed Pele they asked him, "I am not sure if it was only God who gave you that gift. Being at the top of the game must be hard work as well. Of course the work is very, very important." he responded, "That is exactly what my father meant: God gave you the gift to play football, but this is a present. You must respect people and work hard to be in shape. And I used to train very hard. When the others players went to the beach after training, I was there kicking the ball. Another thing I say is, if I am a good player, if I have a gift from God but I don't have the physical condition to run on the field what am I going to do?" Pele proves what Hillstrom wrote to be true, and he also gave more insight about how hard work means a lot to him. For him, it's deeper than just trying his best. It is a virtue that him and his father both believe to be a necessity if one wants to be the best.

Pele manages to stay humble even though he has so much going for him and plenty of accomplishments that he could brag about. As stated before, Pele was not very rich growing up, and because of this, "... his humility, compassion, and conscience enabled him to continually relate to those suffering the crushing effects of poverty." Pele is very well known for what he does off the field, and the contributions he has made are overwhelming. The fact that he chooses to think back on his past and help those who suffer the same fate he once did, is a very admirable and respectable trait. When The Talks asked Pele how he never got arrogant about his skills, he replied, " I used to tease the other kids because I played better than them. Then my father said, "Come here. Don't do this with the kids, because God gave you the gift to play football. You didn't do anything. This was a present from God. You have to respect people, because it is important to be a good man, a good person.  From now on, you must be this example." I believe this experience gave Pele a new perspective on life because he is an amazing person both on and off the field. His sunny personality and generosity helps him spread equality around the world and his donations are always very generous. Writer Parris wrote that when "Pele's contract with Santos expired ... he agreed to play one of his two remaining years for free, his salary to be donated to charity." This is an example of one of the many contributions he has made in his life. He always thought about others before him, and because of this Pele almost went bankrupt a couple of times. He humbles himself to be of the same level  as anyone else and because of this he is a true hero.     

            Pele, a humble and hardworking man used his skills not only to entertain on the field, but also to help others. Pele was a compassionate man whose soccer skills were unmatchable on the field and his humanitarian works so large, he got awards. Pele is a true inspiration because he not only changed soccer, but he also changed the we see the world and used his fame to help others. He did his best to spread equality and help those who suffered what he once had to go through. J.B. Pinheiro, the Brazilian ambassador to the United Nations sums Pele's achievements up in one sentence, "Pele played football for 22 years, and in that time he did more to promote world friendship and fraternity than any other ambassador anywhere."