Today was declared Kevin Saunders day by Mayor Slay of St. Louis!
9:00 a.m. CST – My day began with an interview at the CCIN studio for the “Hooked on Health St. Louis” show. I was very excited that I had the opportunity to be a part of this show. St. Louis is working hard to become healthier and I am happy to help in any way I can.
12:30 p.m. CST – Our next stop was at the historic St. Louis Arch. We met with Rollin Stanley, a representative from the Mayor Slay’s office. I received a proclamation from the mayor showing St. Louis’s support of the Tour. Because of their commitment to health and fitness initiatives like “Get Hooked on Health St. Louis”, I presented the city with a sculpture. I also challenged them to keep improving their efforts by getting even more community members involved in making their community a healthier place to live.
After the meeting, we had a chance to visit with one of the photojournalists covering the event. During our conversation, he talked about the great sporting events he covered over the last 17 years and the great athletes he met. Because of his experience, what he said next really meant a lot to me. He said he really admired what we were doing for the people and communities of America to help them live healthier lifestyles. Without help from people like this photojournalist, the Tour would not be as successful as it is.
5:00 p.m. CST – Tonight, the St. Louis Cardinals played the Cincinnati Reds and I was being introduced before the game. (The Cardinals won their seventh game in a row; I like to think I added a little inspiration!). We arrived at the ball field around 6:00 p.m. and we met Tony and his family at the stadium. Tony introduced me to Steve Sacks and his family. Steve Sacks set up the pre-game announcement with Marty Hendin, the Vice President of Community Relations for the St. Louis Cardinals. The announcer introduced me and explained my Tour to motivate and inspire all Americans to get fit. The announcement ended by encouraging them all to make their community a healthier place to live. When he was finished, I tipped my hat to the crowd. They even had me up on the big screen! The fans were great and they gave me a big round of applause. After thanking the crowd, I headed up to our seat to watch the game. On the way, I met a couple of the players. I told the players to play so hard that the Reds would doubt their ability to beat them and encouraged them to never give up. That really is the key to life, Never Give Up! So often when things get hard we quit trying, quit working, quit everything and just plain give up. I never would have made it as a champion wheelchair athlete, motivational coach, inspirational speaker and author if I gave up. To be truthful, life isn’t easier when you give up. It just gets harder. When we give up we don’t succeed at anything. Without success each day becomes harder than the one before it. If we just put forth the effort, if we decide “no more losing! I will never give up, I will work hard until I win!” then life will get better and better. We will come to expect to win and that attitude is what makes us winners in health, in our jobs, in all aspects of our lives. So never give up, there’s always a way!
