The Noah Lawrence Story

The Noah Lawrence Story(Noah Lawrence) Hi, my name is Noah Lawrence and this is my story.

I am an energetic and full of life 16 year old sophomore at Great Oak. I love football more than anything else in my life and my biggest dream is to become a professional football player. However, I'm not your typical teenager. I have something that makes me a little different from my peers. I was born with a disability named Cerebral Palsy. This disability has made life a little harder and some things have not always been easy for me to do as some of my peers. The CP has made my life a little difficult. I have been ridiculed and made fun of because of my speech and disability. I know that we all are different in many ways and not two individuals are or think the same but we all have dreams and work hard to make them came true.

I love football and agonized of not only becoming a great player but also a role model and an inspiration to others. It's really important for me to be a good role model for others with disabilities. I know how much we suffer from people laughing and making fun of someone who is different from me. Especially, when others around you have doubt about your abilities when they see you are different from them. I have individuals around me that do not believe in me and my abilities. I try not to let this bother me since I have always considered myself a champion. My life has been full of challenges. I call myself a "Champion of Life" because I inspire so many people in a positive way.

At school I inspired one of the most popular students, Laquan Williams. His mother told me that I was her son’s hero because I work my butt off. I consider myself a fighter and do not let my Cerebral Palsy slow me down. working hard is my daily priority. Laquan and I run plays, work on my catching at break everyday with Nick Fisher and Kevin Knight. Playing catch with a well known young man who understand what a big deal football is to me and also shares my love of the game makes me happy. I believe that hard work will earn me the respect of others.

The next person that made an impact in my life is Lane Kiffin, the head coach of the University of Southern California (USC). I met him at the Costa Mesa mall during an autograph signing event with some of the players. When it was my turn to get his autograph I said "Hey" nervously. He said "Hey bud what is your name?" "Noah Lawrence" I replied. I told him that I have Cerebral Palsy and I am the biggest USC fan. I also mentioned that I am a hard worker and my dream is to be a Trojan player for USC. When he was signing my helmet, towel, postcard and my t-shirt he said "Son I already know you are a hard worker because I can see it in your eyes". I smiled and said "Thanks coach and fight on."

In June, I signed up for the USC football camp. It stared at 6am to 4:30 in the afternoon. The coaches were yelling at everyone and some of the campers were seniors in high school. I bet that I was the smallest guy there. Well, we did some running back drills, passes, plays and races. My dad was watching and man I was so nervous that I was shaking. I did a running play and ran so fast that that no one was behind me. My dad was so happy that he gave me a hug. That was the happiest moment in my life because I don't see him often, so I knew that I made him proud. He told me, I was doing things that no one would ever believe. This is one of the top college football camps in the world. It was hard for me, but I did it like a champion.

I want to say thank you to my mom and sister. They do whatever they can to make me smile. My mom works her butt off even when she is sick. I am so lucky to have her as my mother because without her I wouldn't do the things I do every day. My sister drove me to football practice early morning. She spoke to the coaches and head of the Sports Department to try and have them to understand what football means to me. They let me be a member of the Great Oak High School team. When someone made me upset my sister would yell at them and oh boys, never make her mad or you will pay the price!

My mom and my sister have shown me how powerful women are by their toughness. My sister wants to be a singer. She has an amazing voice and she has attended a lot of singing events. Even though no one will sign her, she keeps working and does everything to prove herself. My life has been and always will be around women and I love it. I love it because I truly believe that women are the most powerful people on earth. Women in my family always give me advice. these are women that are nice and gentle. Girls always ask me, "Why are you always nice?" I say "It is because women have the power to do anything they want, not for the men but for themselves."

One day, I planned on giving a rose to the girl that I like. I walked up to her and presented the rose. She is amazingly beautiful. Her eyes shine like diamonds, her voice reminds me of an angel and her smile made me smile. She smiled at me when I gave her the rose. She said, "Awe thank you, Noah." She gave me a big hug and I smiled so big. I had nothing to say. I just looked at her and smiled like a fool. Even though she will never be interested in me I want her to know that I want to be the one that she can trust and whatever she needs I will do anything to see her heavenly smile. I'll always support her in any way that I can.

Well, that's my story I hope it will inspire you guys to dream and never stop trying. I am doing everything that I can to inspire people. It doesn't matter if you are blind, unable to walk, never give up on your dreams because they will come true. Always remember to fight like a champion and work hard for what you want. I want to say thank you to Mr. Fenney, my English teacher, and Coach Alix for helping me and believing in me.