Well I was planning on using this post to talk about what I have been up to lately. I have had the opportunity to travel quite a bit in the past month and work with an incredible organization, Classroom Champions. And I will talk about that, next week. Maybe it is because I am still a little emotional, but I would like to dedicate this post to a good friend who has left this world way to early.

It seems like everywhere you look there is violence and death in the world. But at the same time it is usually away from home. Maybe oversees, or just a state or 2 away. But rarely in your local community. And when something happens that is close to home, it hits that much harder. I awoke this morning to messages and posts that a close and dear friend passed away. Now I met this person years ago at a ski race camp in Breckinridge, CO. She like me had the dream of making the U.S Adaptive Ski Team and competing in the Paralympics. We instantly became best friends and it just so happens that we picked the same program to train at (The National Sports Center for the Disabled in Winter Park, CO). We both would spend our winter’s there training, trying to become the best we could be. Now we both had different work ethics and different ideas of how we would succeed. But we pushed each other, and since we were only a year apart in age, spent most of our time together. We even earned wildcard spots to compete in our first World Cup Races together, just months before the Sochi Paralympics. Unfortunately she was just short of making the team but she still found a positive in everything. She then decided to take a break from skiing and focus on water skiing. Which she was of course incredible at. Always lighting up a room and bringing laughter, Sarah Holm was truly an incredible human.

It breaks my heart that someone so young is gone. And this happens everyday, everywhere around the world. We need to be more conscious of each other. There is too much negativity in the world. Always focusing on one’s self. How can I advance, who do I need to beat out to succeed. Money, money, money…..

Try just taking a minute to breathe. Say hello to someone you see walking down the street. Hold the door for the person behind you. Help a person that is struggling. Think about someone else for a change. If more people showed compassion and respect, we could change the world. Make it a better place to live! And isn’t that what we all want.

Just one more quick story:

I am an athlete mentor for this incredible program Classroom Champions. In working with this program I work with a few school classrooms across the U.S. and create video lessons for the kids on a wide range of topics. One of my favorite lessons that I did was on community, where I challenged my classes to find a way to make a difference in their community. I taught them what it means to help out each other and be active in their local and global community. And when I talked with some of the students about the lesson, I learned how much of a difference they were making. How they started thinking about others, instead of just themselves. And remember these are middle school and elementary school kids. If they can learn how to help others out, don’t you think we can too.

In closing, remember that our life on this world is short. Don’t wait, saying you have plenty of time to visit/ talk with family. Or a friend that you are meaning to reconnect with but just “can’t find the time”.  Make time, and remember to make every day matter. What’s that famous saying, “Don’t put off tomorrow, what you can do today.” Don’t wait to make a difference, just go out and do it.

Thank you all,

May GOD Bless you all and this great country

Sincerely,

TC