If you were to take an informal poll of sports observers, not many would likely know Julie Moss by name. But if you described her dramatic finish in the 1982 Hawaii Ironman Triathlon, you would no doubt get a very high percentage of people who were familiar with Ms. Moss and the compelling video footage...

The ABC Wide World of Sports television cameras captured every agonizing moment of Moss, then a young college student struggling with the last two miles of the marathon, rising and falling repeatedly, and slowly dragging herself toward the finish line. 

Moss was taking part in this grueling test of physical endurance as part of her research for her exercise physiology thesis, but ironically became the story herself and the center of much debate and praise on the merits of pushing one's body to such extreme dehydration that a person would lose control of their bodily functions...

For many, the video of Julie Moss is one of the gold standards for atrhletic courage and determination, and a jaw-dropping reminder of the potential that lies within all of us, if we dare to tap deep into our spirit of possibility...

TO VIEW THE DRAMATIC JULIE MOSS CLICK HERE...

 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tRB1p89k7_I

 Now a story about a designated free throw shooter in a competitive basketball game may have some faithful followers of "60 Seconds on Officiating" cringing a bit, but the INSPIRATION 60 link of our site is guided by a different calling, and shares lessons about life that won't be found in any rulebook...

With that in mind, take a moment to read the story of a night in the life of high school senior Matt Steven who was born with two permanently detatched retinas and had both eyes removed as a young boy, but nevertheless found himself standing at the foul line in a regulation CYO high school game...

There were ten seconds left, his team trailing by one, and Matt took the ball....For the first time in his life, Matt got to be treated like a normal kid...

The opposing team's fans were no longer cheering for Matt to make his free throws... 

Matt smiled and took his first free throw...

In that moment, Matt was just one of the guys...   

To read Matt Steven's inspiring story, CLICK HERE

We have all seen the heartwarming video clips of competing teams agreeing to make room for an athlete with special needs to have a moment in the sports spotlight in the closing moments of game who's outcome has been decided...

You would think a young man with just one leg would be the recipient of a gracious concession by an opposing coach, but Carl Joseph does not need any special consideration...

In this issue of INSPIRATION 60 we take a closer look at the story of Carl Joseph, a three-sport phenomenon, who one NFL Hall of Fame player calls, 'the most amazing athlete he has ever seen...

 Click Here To Watch Carl Joseph In Action

Kelly Perkins has always had the heart and spirit of an adventurer...This outdoor enthusiast and mountain climber extraordinaire loves pushing herself higher and farther than she has been before, as well as the excitement of not knowing exactly what's around the bend...

Facing unforeseen obstacles is an accepted part of all demanding outdoor activities; but the impediment standing before Kelly in 1992 was as daunting as any rugged mountain top...

Kelly's heart was being destroyed by a mysterious virus and she would need a heart transplant to live...

Kelly received a new heart, and what she did with each precious beat, each golden second, speaks to all of us about what we are all capable of accomplishing... 

Click here for more on Kelly Perkins' amazing journey.

If the success of any long journey begins with the first step, imagine, if you can, a goal of walking from Los Angeles to New York -- on your hands!

That is what Bob Wieland, a double amputee the result of a land mine explosion from his 1969 tour in Vietnam, believed as he set out on his 2,784 mile stroll across America...

 Dwayne Betts was the speaker at his graduation from the University of Maryland.

A proud moment to be sure for young Mr. Betts and his family, but certainly a familiar scene played out on every college campus across the country.

However, the journey Betts traveled on his way to podium on this special day included a nine-year stop at a state prison at the age of 16 for a carjacking conviction.

Betts told CNN's Stephanie Chen, "you can teach yourself anything you want...you can be more than any one mistake you make."

Click on the CNN link below to read more of Dwayne Betts' inspirational story.  

 http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/09/09/prison.life.lesson.memoir/index.html

Barry Schultz made a muscle with his right arm. He bent his elbow, pointed his fist to the sky and squeezed the bicep like an Arnold Schwarzenegger pose in "Pumping Iron."  Schultz, though, wasn't showing off his "guns" as the body builders say.  Actually, he was showing what was missing. His right bicep isn't really there anymore.

Schultz was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) more than two years ago. The debilitating disease -- also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease -- attacks the muscles of the body.  However, Schultz's strength can't be measured by the size of his bicep. Not nearly. His admirable strength  lives in his heart and his head.

For the last two years, Schultz has ridden his bike down the shore in the ALS Express ride to raise money and awareness for the deadly disease. Or, as he says, "to find a cure."
But, when Schultz talks about finding a cure, he doesn't say this for himself. Rather, he hopes to help find a cure for future ALS suffers. The average lifespan for someone with ALS is two to five years. "I'm in OT," Schultz, a long-time and highly respected basketball official, said with a smile, referencing a basketball term  of overtime. "I saw my doctor last week and he said what ever I'm doing he wish he could bottle and give to all his patients," Schultz added while preparing to officiate a recent men's basketball league game at the Jewish Community Center in Cherry Hill.  This year, the ALS Express ride is in Schultz's deserving honor.

"It is so unusual to have someone with ALS to have the energy and drive to be able to ride," said Ellyn Phillips, the president of the Greater Philadelphia Chapter of the ALS Association. "That would be enough for Barry to receive this recognition, but he is also such an inspiration. He really is a great guy and a wonderful representative of the organization and of others who have this disease."  "I will be riding again this year and hoping to ride for many more years," said Schultz, who has lived in Haddon Heights all his life.

Schultz, 53, credits his positive attitude to the support of his family -- wife Sue, and daughters Stacey, 27, Jenny, 25, and Kristy, 23. "You can't take it away," he said philosophically about ALS, "you deal with what you have and make the best of it." And, how he has dealt with this disease has been an inspiration to so many. Especially, his family and those
who see him ride to the shore each year. "It means so much to me," his daughter Kristy said about riding with her dad. "When we go to ALS events and you see how the disease affects so many, our fear was we didn't know if it would affect him that that way. So to be able to ride with him the last two years is amazing. "It is definitely inspirational to others who have ALS and also to the families who are affected. I love doing it."

This is the third year Barry's Bikers are participating in the ALS Express. Barry's Bikers have raised more than $18,500 the first two years.
The ALS Express bike ride was started by the Eileen Frank ALS Foundation in 1999. After being diagnosed in 1999, Eileen Frank lived with ALS for two years before losing her battle with the disease in 2001.
The ride is hosted every year to honor her memory and to help raise money for ALS research. Schultz is the third highest money raiser as an individual the last two years and his team has been the fourth
best money maker. The ALS Express is a non-competitive bike-a-thon for people of all ages and riding abilities through South Jersey. There are four distance options: the 75-mile ride starts at 7 a.m.; the 50-mile ride starts at 8:30 a.m.: the 25-mile ride starts at 10 a.m.; the 10-mile ride starts at 11 a.m. Schultz and most of the Barry's Bikers are doing the 25-mile ride starts at Dennis Township Elementary
School in Dennisville "After attending the recent ALS Hot Chocolate outing, I am blessed for still being able to do all the thing I still do," he said. "Many of the patients in attendance would be happy just to be able to walk, talk or join any team in the ride, let alone referee a basketball game."

Schultz was diagnosed with ALS in May 2006 and he rode down the shore the next month. "My kids all said that they would do it and my wife came up with the name of Barry's Bikers," said Schultz,
who works at Bristol-Meyers-Squibb in Lawrenceville. The first year, Barry's Bikers had 25 riders. Last year, 19 rode. "Hopefully, this year we have more," Schultz said. Schultz, who graduated from Gloucester Township Technical School in 1973, started officiating high school basketball in 1977. He advanced into college reffing in 1989. Last year, he officiated 70 games, mostly on the Division III college level.
"I'm very fortunate, I haven't missed anything," he said. "I go to some functions and I see some people and I know how fortunate I am."

At first Schultz didn't want the coaches to know he had ALS. He just wants to be treated the same by coaches. But, with raising money and awareness for ALS, it was impossible for coaches not to find out.
The tribute to Schultz is that no one watching him ref could tell he had ALS."I work year-round to stay in shape," Schultz said. "I run and lift weights to stay in shape for basketball."
"I look at the end of each season if I can ref next year," Schultz said. With Schultz's attitude, that will be a long, long time not only officiating, but riding to the shore.
"Each year is a blessing that he rides with us," said his wife, Sue. "I'm not a biker, but to see his determination and to know the whole cause gives you the strength to do it."

These profound words of Saint Thomas Aquinas may have been in the heart of Father Edward Sorin as he surveyed the total destruction of his life’s work.
 
The date was April 23, 1879 and Father Sorin was sifting through the ruins of the main building of the University of Our Lady By The Lake that had been destroyed by fire. The main building housed virtually the entire university he had founded and had devoted his life to.
 
Thirty-five years of selfless work had been reduced to smoldering ashes in three hours.
 
If despair and self-pity visited Father Sorin, they were unwelcome visitors and didn’t stay long as he quickly rallied his followers.   
 
“I came here as a young man and dreamed of building a great university in honor of Our Lady,” Father Sorin told a dispirited group of supporters. “But I built it too small, and She had to burn it to the ground to make the point. So, tomorrow, as soon as the bricks cool, we will rebuild it, bigger and better than ever.”
 
True to his word, the 65-year-old French-born priest set out to rebuild the university he had founded with $310.00 in cash and an endless reservoir of faith. Slowly, but resolutely, the school rose from the ashes.
 
Today, the University of Our Lady By The Lake, or L’ Universite of Notre Dame du lac, as it was known to Father Sorin in his native French tongue, thrives as world-renown institution of higher learning because of Father Sorin’s faith in things not seen and not yet in hand.
 
We know Father Sorin’s school better today as The University of Notre Dame.

Special thanks to SJHAWK44 for his contribution to this INSPIRATION 60 post...check out his blog at http://AMDG44.blogspot.com