Do you have the strength to be a tiger? In my essay I will be writing about Jim Abbott, and how he’s an example of a SMSA tiger. Jim Abbott dreamed big! Jim played professional baseball for five major leagues, he was Born September 19, 1967 Flint, Michigan, and went to University of Michigan. Jim Abbott is 47 years old, with 2 kids and a spouse. Jim started to practice at the age 11 to become the pitcher he desired. Oh, did I mention he was born without a right hand? Well, in contempt of his birth defect he dreamed of being a professional athlete. Jim practiced everyday despite people and their reactions upon his missing hand. As Jim got older and practiced more and more, to become the best pitcher he desperately desired, he tried as hard …show more content…
He thought of how differently people would treat him because of his hand. “But over the years he has overcome being “handicap”. It’s like a guy with glasses. He uses glasses to correct his vision. Jim uses his hand to push himself to correct his pitching”. Abbott, Jim, and Tim Brown. "11." Imperfect: An Improbable Life. New York: Ballantine, 2012. Print. (Abbott, 2013) Abbott was never motivated by people like him, he didn't grow up thinking about being disabled, just strove to be normal. Abbott knew that he had to keep thinking of it not as a problem but as a reason to push harder to accomplish his goal in life. In the book Abbott stated to reporters, “I always grew up playing baseball and liking it,” (Jim Abbott, 2012) Growing up with that passion has made his successful today. Abbott’s success has made him a role model for handicapped children and me as well. Jim Abbott is very inspiring to me because he makes me think about what I have gone through in life and all of my setbacks, and still I have accomplished some of my major goals in my life just like him. Jim Abbott was very brave in facing people that weren’t as supporting, which made him improve his pitching. Abbott has inspired me to keep doing what I'm doing and be myself. Abbott knows that kids with disabilities see the challenges he has overcome and