Unlikely Champion

(Disclosure:  This is a sponsored post.  All opinions are my own.)

At our local high school here in Michigan, there was a student who has Down Syndrome.  He is the water boy for the football team.  His mother has cancer.  So this high school team wanted to do something amazing for the family.  During one of the Friday football games, the two teams that were playing had planned for the young man to run a touch down for the game.  It was an amazing surprise to the mom who was in tears as her some became the Unlikely Champion of the game.  The news channels did a great job portraying the event and I know that as I was watching the news story, I was crying because that was a real-life story of an Unlikely Champion.


There is another story that portrays an Unlikely Champion and that is the story of Phiona.  In the new movie from Disney, QUEEN OF KATWE is based on the inspiring true story of Robert Katende and Phiona Mutesi.  Phiona was a young girl living in the slums of Katwe, Uganda.  One day she stumbles upon Katende and a group of children playing chess in a makeshift church.  Through the guidance of Katende and the game of chess, Phiona is encouraged to believe in herself.  Eventually, she finds herself not only competing in local chess matches, but winning in international competitions.  Robert and Phiona's story celebrates the notion that champions can come from the most unlikely places.

Check out this heartwarming featurette:






Tell me:  Who is an unlikely champion in your life or community?