Profile
"I was born with club feet. My toes pointed inward and I had to walk on the outside of my feet. After a series of unsuccessful childhood surgeries, I ended up with limited motion in my ankles and one leg an inch shorter than the other. It often hurt to run and sometimes even to walk. It would have been easy to say, 'I can't do sports,' and let my feet be an excuse, but I am thankful that my family kept me from sinking into self-pity."

"I paddled my first canoe at five years of age. I would practice paddling as quietly as possible, taking very slow and precise strokes with minimal splash on each stroke. I'd try to make no sound as I paddled and I'd try to sneak up on the ducks that lived on the pond. It was truly a joy to paddle."

"Perhaps it is simple point that even the longest journey begins with a single step, but when each step hurts, you become aware of every part of the journey. Looking back, it's amazing what was accomplished by focusing on one step at a time. I learned how to walk, then run, then run a long way. I paddled for fun, then for competition, then at an international level. Eventually, I did something that no American kayaker has ever done before -- two gold medals in fewer than 90 minutes. Four Olympic teams and four medals, all made with one goal followed by another, one race at a time."

The Olympic Spirit in YOU!
Greg Barton wasn't going to let his physical handicap keep him from doing something he truly enjoyed. He stayed focused on his goals, and took one step at a time to achieve them. As you think about your goals, consider the steps that are required to achieve them.

• Write down an important goal that you have.
• Write down the small steps, things you must do, to achieve your goal.
• Plan the order of each step. Write down what you will do first, then second, and so on.
• Work diligently until you have mastered each small step, then move to the next step.

More Athletes

Ann Meyers Drysdale Bart Conner Billy Mills Baron Pierre de Coubertin Gail Devers Greg Barton Henry Marsh John Naber

Karch Kiraly Mary Lou Retton Matt Ghaffari Milt Campbell Nadia Comaneci Nancy Hogshead Paul Gonzales Terry Schroeder

For more great stories about Olympians, ask your librarian for books about Olympic spirit, including Awaken the Olympian Within complied by John Naber, and The Olympic Dream and Spirit, Vol. 1, 2, and 3, with Bob Schaller.