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Tiger Woods

by Tiger Tsai from San Diego, California in United States

 

“At their best, superhero origin stories inspire us and provide models of coping with adversity, finding meaning in loss and trauma, discovering our strengths and using them for good purpose” (Rosenberg). All heroes are flawed, and the flaws make them stronger to use them to contribute to the world. Despite their flaws, heroes can be admired for their commitment to a greater good. Heroism is not perfection, but an inspiration. Heroism can be achieved by striving for excellence through determination. A hero is special; it is someone who works tirelessly and chases their dreams. Fame may come as a result of that excellence, but it is not what defines a hero, or heroism. A hero is someone who is willing to contribute something unique to the world, or even change it. It is definitely not easy to achieve this level of heroism, but it is possible to impact and change the world through determination and revolution.

 

A young child, less than one year old, showed exceptional talent when he picked up his father’s golf club and hit the ball perfectly. This lucky incident accidentally led this child on the path to becoming a legendary golfer. Tiger Woods grew up to be one of the greatest golfers of all time, beating several incredible records at a very young age of 21. He was very determined when he was little to be the best of the best in golf. As he became more famous, this trait always stuck with him. As an adult, Woods carries many positive traits as a sport athlete and inspires many children as a role model. He has influenced people to be determined in their goals and focus on what they dream, and through his revolutionary championship of The Masters, he has proven that anyone can achieve success. Tiger Woods has spent his whole life determined to overcome barriers in golf and has made historic change, not only in the golf industry, but also in the world by persevering as a young adult and a minority in the sport; Woods possesses determination and a revolutionary mindset, therefore he is a hero.

122059Woodshttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tiger_Woods 

Tiger Woods was determined, even as a child, to rise on top of the world. Woods knew who he was, what he wanted to do, and what he wanted to be: “Tiger's golf skills improved as he grew older. Many golf experts believed he could become a professional golfer. Tiger tried not to let the attention change him. He still wanted to be like other kids his age. He liked to eat junk food, watch TV, and spend time with his friends. But Tiger knew that he was different. At age 15, he said that he wanted to become the Michael Jordan of golf. He wanted to be as good at golf as Jordan was at basketball” (Sirimarco). Woods was not extraordinary or special, but he was a determined child who knew what he was going to achieve. Although he was only 15, his mindset had already exceeded that age, as the quote says, “Tiger tried not to let the attention change him. He still wanted to be like other kids his age” (Sirimarco). Woods’ mature mindset allowed him to focus on achieving his goals while enjoying his privileges as a child. Because of his strong state of mind, Woods was able to succeed both in his public and private life. Woods has always known what he wanted to do and has a very clear goal to be the best at the golf industry. Woods once again proves that the key to success is determination when he says, “I knew that I would make a decision to turn pro after the amateur, one way or the other. Do I? Should I? Or shouldn’t I? what was the question, and I knew that after I’d won, there’s really not much to achieve in amateur golf. Something no one’s ever done. I have won three U.S amateurs in a row. This makes six USG events in a row, so I felt like it was time” (“Tiger Woods; 1996 'Hello World' press conference”). Woods had already planned out his future. He knew what he needed to do in order to get into PGA and what it takes to maintain balance with his personal life. His future-focused attitude allowed him to determine the right moment to turn into a PGA player and to understand what it takes to become one. He also prepared himself well enough to prove to the PGA association of his value as a player. It is clear why Woods is a legendary golfer; through his determination and future-focused mind, Woods demonstrates he has the qualities to achieve success.

122060Woodshttps://www.golfdigest.com/story/the-7-most-encouraging-numbers-from-tiger-woods-honda-classic-performance 

Tiger Woods not only changed the history of golf, but also people’s perspectives toward racism. Woods, a man of complicated ethnicity, has suffered from racial separation too: “Early on, I had to sneak onto the course, because you weren’t allowed on it until you were ten years old. I did notice that white kids under ten played, but I wasn’t allowed to mix with them” (WOODS, TIGER. 1997 MASTERS). Back in the 1980s, when Tiger Woods was an eight-year-old kid, the widespread racism resulted in an unspoken racial segregation in the golf world. As a black man, he suffered from racial conflicts in the society just like the others, making him relatable to the people. In 1997, Woods broke the record in the golf industry and transformed the society’s attitude towards the colored: “Woods, a man of ethnic complexity, further distinguished himself as the first nonwhite to win the Masters, and in doing so, he helped to dissolve many stereotypical notions and attitudes regarding minorities in the sport of golf” (“Tiger Woods.” Biography.com ). As the first non-white person to win the Masters, Woods proves that anyone can achieve success by working hard in the right path, regardless of race. His success has inspired many racial minorities to pursue careers that they had never considered before. Through his determination to be the best, and his courageous spirit to try new things, Woods finally acquired a revolutionary championship in golf.

122061Woodshttp://www.hlntv.com/article/2012/06/04/tiger-woods-wins-ties-nicklaus 

Tiger Woods has proven himself to be a hero by overcoming the barriers in golf and making an unforgettable history with his determined and revolutionary accomplishment. He has transformed history and changed people’s perspective towards racism.  Woods is a great inspiration and role model because of his background, race, and success. Despite the existence of unspoken racial segregation in the golf society, Tiger Woods did not stop playing golf, but tried even harder so he could prove to everyone that anyone can carry out one’s dream. His innovation in the golf industry greatly inspires me. He makes me think that I’m a different and special person. He makes me think that I can achieve my dreams if I work hard enough. He makes me think I can exceed my potential and impact the world someday. I started golfing when I was in fourth grade and have experienced the difficulties, barriers, and exhaustion of golf. However, whenever I feel frustrated, Tiger Woods reminds me of his determination and his confidence in way that keeps me up, and going; sometimes I even think that I could someday beat his records! Woods is a true hero because he’s not perfect. Although he won many PGA tournaments and broke incredible records, he still has times when he suffered great loss like when he injured his body, made a bad swing, or even made a wrong decision in life. As expressed, heroes don’t need to be perfect; they are relatable, and what’s most important, is that true heroes are determined and make contributions that impact the world; therefore, Tiger Woods is a true hero.

122062Woodshttp://www.hlntv.com/article/2012/06/04/tiger-woods-wins-ties-nicklaus 

Works Cited

Sirimarco, Elizabeth. "Tiger Woods." Tiger Woods (9780736805810), Jan. 2001, p. 4.

EBSCOhost, search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=b6h&AN=7566595&site=brc-live.

“Tiger Woods.” Biography.com, A&E Networks Television, 8 Jan. 2018,

www.biography.com/people/tiger-woods-9536492.

“Tiger Woods.” Encyclopedia of World Biography, vol. 18, Gale, 1998. Biography in Context,

Accessed 21 Dec. 2017.

WOODS, TIGER. 1997 MASTERS: my story. GRAND CENTRAL PUB, 2018.

Woods, Tiger. “Tiger Woods; 1996 'Hello World' press conference” YouTube, uploaded by PGA

TOUR, 30 August 2016, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pLf3Gb5TcXs.

 

Page created on 2/15/2018 7:24:30 PM

Last edited 3/2/2018 7:13:38 PM

The beliefs, viewpoints and opinions expressed in this hero submission on the website are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the beliefs, viewpoints and opinions of The MY HERO Project and its staff.