celebrity lineup (program #225)
Bobby Mote:
#1 World Champ
Mote epitomizes the modern professional cowboy. During a 10-month season, he'll compete in 100 rodeos in the western United States and Canada against 400 other riders. His long hours in chartered planes and rented cars are all for the chance to last maybe eight seconds in the ring on a bucking bronco (his highest score was 93 out of a possible 100 in a competition in Dallas, just short of the highest recorded score of 94). Now, at 32, Mote is one of the best in the sport, with 2002 and 2007 championship titles under his belt, winnings of $207,184 last year, and lifetime earnings of more than $1.1 million, making him one of the top-50-winningest pro cowboys of all time. "It doesn't make sense to a lot of people to do what we do," Mote says. "But at the same time, I'm doing what I love to do, and I'm making a living at it. That's pretty awesome." Mote has the rugged good looks of the Marlboro Man, but you won't find him smoking, drinking, or fooling around while he's on the road. Like other professional athletes, rodeo cowboys depend on their bodies for their livelihoods and treat them accordingly. Over the years, Mote has hurt his neck and broken a leg, shoulder, and collarbone. So during the off-season he runs, does core-strength exercises, and works out with a personal trainer to be in peak condition for competition. "As much as I hate to say it, the older you get, the harder it is to keep yourself up," he says. Mote got hooked on the sport as a 15-year-old growing up near Redmond, Oregon, after hearing an old cowboy singer wax nostalgic about rodeo life. After finishing high school, he started entering weekend competitions, cutting firewood and training horses to support himself. Eventually, he apprenticed with an older cowboy—an esteemed rodeo tradition—and hit the big time in 2001 when he made it to the national championships for the first time and took second place. Mote is featured on a DVD available for purchase: Cowboys of Faith. See www.cowboysoffaith.com Article on Mote excerpted from Portfolio.com |
Allyson Felix:
Olympic Medalist
My faith is definitely the most important aspect of my life. My dad is a pastor and I grew up in a very strong Christian home. Our family was very involved in our church. I came to know Jesus Christ as my personal savior at a very young age. Ever since then I have continually been striving to grow in my relationship with God. I was nowhere close to the perfect child. I had my share of difficult times along with some disappointing choices I made, but thankfully God never stopped loving me. I’m currently a work in progress and like anyone else I face struggles every day. My goal is to be more Christ-like each and every day and that is not an easy task. In the season of my life that I am now, I feel so blessed that God has given me the talent of running. My running is an amazing gift from God and I want to use it to the best of my ability to glorify Him. I’m thankful that I have been given this platform so that I can share my faith with the world! |
Matt Hughes: Ultimate Fighting Champion (UFC)
I don’t go out there with the intent of hurting anybody. I go out there with the intent of winning. My biggest goals actually are outside of the sport. a. I want to become more Christ-like. I like to see people work hard. I think it was Julius Erving who when asked about him being a hero replied, He didn’t think he was a hero. A hero to him were parents who worked hard doing things they didn’t want to do to provide for their families. I agree with him that the things that inspire me are people who work hard at what they do. Hughes spends his non-combat time helping the youth of his community and helping out at a Mexican orphanage named Rancho 3M where he assists in the development and construction of dwellings. Excerpted from matthughes.com and thesweetscience.com (Ralph Gonzales) |
