Introduce kids to these 16 inspirational people who have broken down
barriers to revolutionize the world of sports.
These heroes pushed themselves beyond their own limits, took risks, and
overcame prejudices like racism, sexism, and ableism to make it to the
top of their field.
Discover why and how people such as Dick Fosbury (USA), Sonja Henie
(Norway), and Gino Bartali & Fausto Coppi (Italy) became sport heroes.
The stories featured inside remind you how important it is never to give
up and to fight for what you truly believe in.
These inspiring victories remind us that it is possible to meet the
challenges of life and make the world a better place for everyone.
Excerpt:
Before Nadia Comăneci, it was believed by Olympic judges that no sports
person could ever achieve perfection - a score of 10 - in a gymnastic
routine. As far as they were concerned, there was no such thing as
perfection; there were always little things that could be improved. The
judges were very tough in their assessments and were convinced that
nobody would ever make them change their minds.
But then a very young Comăneci got up on the bars and performed the most
perfect routine the judges had seen in their lives. Comăneci received
the first 10 in the history of the Olympic Games - and it would not be
her last!
It was quite an amusing moment - the scoreboards were only programmed to
show three digits and couldn't show a 10. Comăneci's score had to be
shown as 1.00, and the Dutch judge in charge of the scoring had to wave
his arms and shout from the table: "It's a 10, it's a 10, not a 1!"
Fortunately, these days scoreboards are prepared for perfection.
