The driving spirit of a person will determine their success. It’s not something that comes from a privileged background. Bonnie St. John can testify to this fact. Bonnie has seen success beyond most people’s wildest dreams through the Olympic Games, but it’s hard to imagine that success if you believe the stereotypes all around you.

Bonnie St. John was raised by a single mother in San Diego. They were very poor, and what’s worse is that Bonnie had to have one of her legs amputated at age five. Without any snow or money, her crazy dream was to be a skier. Her mother was always supportive of her and never tried to compensate for the disability.

People will tell you that black people never ski, swim, or play golf, but this is 100% untrue. Sure there are a few big names out there like Tiger Woods, but in reality, there are a lot of black people involved in these sports. One of Bonnie’s motivations from a very early age was to do her best so that others could be motivated by her.

As a child, a friend named Barbara Warmath invited Bonnie St. John on a ski trip with her family over Christmas. This wasn’t just any old invitation. Keep in mind that Bonnie was the girl who was exempt from PE classes, rode a special bus, and was teased by the other kids. This trip was the chance of a lifetime from someone who was a true friend.

Bonnie St. John’s friend invited her in early November to accompany the family on the Christmas ski trip. That gave her only a few short weeks to come up with the money and ski gear to be able to go. With the help of odd jobs, the Yellow Pages, and the Salvation Army, she was ready!

Skiing proved harder than even Bonnie St. John could have imagined. She was constantly falling down as she fought with the prosthetic leg. She didn’t know what equipment to buy, so her knit mittens left her fingers cold and met. None of it mattered, though. Bonnie was having the time of her life!

Later, Bonnie St. John joined the Ski Club so that she could obtain the appropriate ski gear and take skiing lessons. She was able to meet and race with many other amputees as well. The more she raced, the more she realized how much she enjoyed the challenge. She decided to train for the U.S. Olympic Ski Team.

We can all be successful, no matter what the challenge we face. Some people have harder barriers to break than others, and some people are more creative at breaking those barriers than others, but in the end, we all have the same chance. Never give up. Never let your dreams die. Get up when you fall, and have patience.