Two weeks ago, USA Today presented the Inspirational Athlete Contest to everyone in the country. Out of all the applicants, they narrowed it down to the regional contest. Two of the people they picked were Bethel Students Paul Dunn and Connor Namuth.
Many people wonder how these two qualified for this contest. This was mostly because the two are an inspiration to their teammates, friends, and family.
Dunn is an inspiration to many people at Bethel Park. This is mainly because of his determination to overcome obstacles that have been presented in his life.
The main obstacle he needed to overcome was the unexpected death of his father on December 16, 2013. Because Dunn is the oldest of all his siblings, he needed to provide guidance for his younger brother and sister. He also needed to support his mom and help cope with this tragedy.
Even though he was coping with the lost of his dad, Dunn was determined to do well this year. And this year he was doing his best for one person, his dad.
Dunn ended up going to WPIALs and placing high enough to make it to States. When asked what his goal is for states he said, “I want to place, anything less would be a disappointment.”
Through his determination, Dunn placed 3rd in the PIAA competition.
Dunn has proven his determination to push himself through times of bad. He truly is an inspiration for others to follow.
Namuth is an inspiration to the Bethel community as well. When he was born, he had a stroke that caused him to have the lifelong disability of cerebral palsy. Because of this, Namuth walks with a limp.
Even though he has this disability, Namuth always wanted to play hockey, and it never stopped him.
Namuth was able to play just as well as any of his other teammates, and when he was a freshman, he was named captain of the team. People said he deserved it because of his dedication, perseverance, and leadership.
In Namuth’s junior year of high school, he undertook his fifth major surgery in his knee. Because of this, he was not able to play on the team.
But this didn’t stop Namuth from being part of the team. He earned a coaching certificate and became a student coach to the varsity hockey team.
Through his determination to still be part of the sport he loves, Namuth is an inspiration for all of his teammates, friends, and family.
Both of these men are inspiring to their community and deserve to be reconized for it. Vote for them to move on to the next round of the competition. Voting ends Monday, March 31.
