011: Simon Sinek – Listen to your drum & Glen Cunningham – Success Story Series

“Don’t quit. Never give up trying to build the world you can see, even if others can’t see it. Listen to your drum and your drum only. It’s the one that makes the sweetest sound.” – Simon Sinek

This was drawn by A.Kelly. See more of his work at his blog.

The story board was done by Usman. You can view more of this work at his link.

The story of the comic is based on the true story of Dr. Glenn Cunningham, also known as the Kansas Flyer. After the schoolhouse explosion accident, some parts of his legs were lost or destroyed. Doctors told his family that he would probably never walk again. However Cunningham kept a positive attitude about it and miraculously managed to walk again after therapy. If you look at a picture of him in later life, his legs look rather normal. He went on to become a runner and compete in the Olympics, where he won a few medals. Cunningham also came very close to becoming to beating the 4 minute mile run. His story is nothing short of extraordinary, and maybe he was lucky. Even so, all that luck can’t be a substitute for his attitude and hard work.

Ironically, I couldn’t really find a quote by Cunningham that would fit his story.

The quote comes from Simon Sinek, author and TED speaker, with one of the most viewed TED talks ever. He is credited with popularising the concept of the golden circle. I encourage you to watch his TED talk. There is a reason why it’s so popular, and I won’t spoil it for you. I found this quote by Sinek to be the most fitting to describe Cunningham’s attitude and story. It’s as if I am finding evidence to prove that great minds think alike.

If you have heard other miraculous stories, sports related or not, feel free to share them with me, in the comments below.