What Character Trait Do These People Have in Common?

Helen Keller, Lance Armstrong, Abraham Lincoln, and Cody

McCasland.

A person who is blind and deafcannot go to college.

What do you think?

• Helen Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Alabama.

• When Helen was 1 ½ years old, she became very sick with a high fever. After several days, her fever broke but she could no longer see or hear.

• Helen’s parents didn’t know how to help her. • Helen couldn’t communicate with them and

became angry.• She broke things and disobeyed her parents.• When Helen was 7 years old, Anne Sullivan

came to live with her and become her teacher.

• Anne taught Helen how to communicate by spelling words on her hand.

• Helen went to college and was the first blind and deaf person to get a college degree.

• She wrote many books and travelled all over the world.

• She even met the Queen of England!• She visited soldiers during the war to comfort

them.• Helen was awarded the Presidential Medal of

Freedom by President Lyndon Johnson.

Helen Keller

Can a poor boy with almost no schooling, become the President

of the United States?

Yes or no?

• Abraham Lincoln was born in a one room cabin in Kentucky, on February 12, 1809.

• His mother died when he was 9 years old.• His family did not believe in slavery.• He only had about 18 months (1 ½ years) of

schooling.• Abraham loved to read and learned a lot from

books.• Abraham’s nickname was “Honest Abe”.• He worked many different jobs.• He never went to law school but learned how

to be a lawyer by reading books.

• After three years of studying, Abraham took the law exams and passed.

• Abraham and his wife, Mary, had four sons but only one lived to be a grown up.

• Abraham was interested in politics and held many positions in government.

• He was the 16th president of the United States of America.

• He did not approve of slavery and issued a document called the Emancipation Proclamation that declared forever free those slaves within the Confederacy.

• Many people wanted to keep slaves and were angry with Abraham but he knew what he did was right.

Abraham Lincoln

Can a person overcome cancer and become a world class athlete?

Lance Armstrong

• Born to a teenage mother and father.• Raised by his young mother who had to work

to support them.• Felt left out in school because he didn’t play

football and his family wasn’t wealthy.• At 12 years old he decided to join the swim

team. Was put on the 7 year old swim team. He decided to be the best swimmer he could be.

• Lance had to be at the pool at 5:30 am for practice. His mother had to travel to work and couldn’t take him. He started riding to the pool on his mother’s bike. He biked 20 miles a day and swam 5 miles a day at 13 years old.

• Lance started entering triathlons which combined his favorite activities: swimming, biking, and running.

• By the time Lance was 25, he had a beautiful wife, a career as a professional bike racer, and all the nice things money could buy.

• The same year he turned 25, he was diagnosed with cancer. It spread into his brain and required brain surgery and chemotherapy.

• Lance had to sell his nice house and many of his possessions to pay for his health care.

• The professional biking team he raced for, dropped him from the team. Now, he had no job to go back to.

• Lance decided to get through the cancer treatments and start over.

• He became a world class athlete again.

Lance Armstrong

Can a young child without legs play sports?

Cody McCasland

• Cody was born 6 weeks early• He was born with no knee caps and only 4

toes on one foot.• Cody has had a total of 15 surgeries including

amputation.• Cody has suffered through gallbladder attacks,

asthma, amputation, and seizures in his young life.

• Cody runs races, swims, plays sled hockey, and plays the piano.

• Cody is only 8 years old!• He has been on many television shows

including Oprah.• He has met and inspired war veterans who

have also lost limbs.• Cody has a website where people can learn

how to help everyone with disabilities.• Cody does everything with a smile on his face!

Cody McCasland

Cody McCasland

You do not have to have:

• Lots of money• Hearing and sight• Legs

To be successful in your life. What did Helen, Abraham, Cody, and Lance all have in common?

CreditsHelen Keller pictures courtesy of:www.hartransom.org/.../images/helen_keller...jpghttp://d21c.com/sookietex/womens_history_helen_keller.jpg

Lance Armstrong picture courtesy of:www.ruggedelegantliving.com/a/images/Lance.Ar.

Abraham Lincoln picture courtesy of:http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/44/Abraham_Lincoln_head_on_shoulders_photo_portrait.jpg

Cody McCasland picture courtesy of:news.sky.com/.../jpg/2009/Mar/Week2/15239059.jpg

Cody McCasland running picture courtesy of:http://www.teamcody.com/cody-mccasland-story.html