Gordon Weir

 My next Overcoming the Odds article is on a man I’ve known for 21 years. Gordon Weir trains top athletes from all over the Metro area, and is also a personal trainer for adults.  For the past 40 years, Mr. Weir has been promoting an event that benefits the Mississippi School for the Deaf.  Most importantly, both of Weir’s parents were deaf. Growing up with deaf parents, Gordon had many odds in his life that he had to overcome.  “Back in the 60s and 70s, many people did not understand much about deafness so a lot of people made fun of my parents,” he said.  Gordon admits he also got into a lot of fights over this!  In addition, it was hard for people to understand the way he communicated with his family.  “Whenever we would go to restaurants, people would look at us like we were from another world because we used sign language,” Weir says, “but as I got older I overcame that.”  The event that Gordon Weir promotes every summer is the NPC Mississippi Championships.  This event is a National Qualifier and benefits the Mississippi School for the Deaf which, in turn, helps local deaf students overcome certain odds. While Weir was attending graduate school, he also worked at the deaf school and noticed a need to help their athletic program.  "The players would only get a meal of a bologna sandwich and two chocolate chip cookies after their games,” he says, “while all these other schools are going to nice restaurants.”  In addition, the only equipment they were getting were hand-me downs and used items.  Gordon realized that there was a need for a Booster Club for the school.  “The kids played in a small conference and there were no lights,” he says, “so I wanted to give them the same opportunities as children in other schools.”  The proceeds from the Bodybuilding Show have helped the children at the Mississippi School for the Deaf have access to adequate sporting equipment as well as trophies for their outstanding accomplishments. To this date, it has raised over $200,000 for the school.  In addition to his annual event playing a part in helping the deaf children overcome certain odds, Weir says it also influences everyday people to become more physically fit.  “This competition is a sport,” he says “and any sport is a challenge that must be goal-oriented.”  Obviously, many people in society work out but still don’t eat properly.  When people come to competitions like this and see the hard work that men and women put into both their dieting and training year-round, it can give them more goals to shoot for. 

 

This year Mike O’Hearn, from Los Angeles, California, will grace our stage on July 17th to guest pose and provide awesome entertainment, as well as an unforgettable experience for the athletes and spectators.  Mike is a 4-Time Mr. Universe, American Gladiator Titan, Hall of Fame Martial Arts, Bodybuilder, and Actor.

Also to guest pose for us will be IFBB Pro Lauren Roussel from Gonzales, Louisiana.   Lauren won Overall Figure at the 2020 Tampa Extravaganza/Pro and earned her pro card at North Americans in Figure.  She will make her pro debut on June 26^th at the Puerto Rico Pro, and also in 2021 she is scheduled for the Pittsburgh Masters Figure and the Tampa Pro.  Lauren also serves as a local NPC judge in Louisiana.

For Tickets, Call 601-906-8837 or 601-906-8772

Carrie Fisher

My next Overcoming the Odds Article is on a cherished celebrity who, unfortunately, left us just last year.  Carrie Fisher died just one day before her mother Debbie Reynolds. I DO NOT know if Fisher's battles with manic depression contributed to her heart attack during the flight.  This is a touchy subject with a lot of people and it was certainly hard for me to write a motivational article on someone whom had this mental condition.  However, I will admit something that I believe.  Even if Carrie Fisher's death was contributed by her bipolarity, she still deserves all the respect in the world for battling it till the very end and bringing awareness about it to the masses.


As has been well documented, Carrie Fisher had bipolar disorder.  She admitted that she abused drugs and had struggles with her weight.  Even with her problems, she was not ashamed to admit to people that she had struggles with mental illness.  Most importantly, Carrie Fisher was a champion for mental health.  She raised awareness of bipolar disorder and encouraged professionals to focus more attention on the problem of mental illness.  In April of 2016, the year of her death, Carrie was awarded with an Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism from Harvard College.  According to the Harvard Gazette, Carrie stated at the ceremony "I've never been ashamed of my mental illness; it never occurred to me.  Many people thank me for talking about it and mothers can tell their kids when they are upset with the diagnosis that Princess Leia is bipolar, too."


In addition to battling bipolar disorder and bringing awareness to mental health, Carrie Fisher also overcame the stigma of living in her mother's shadow.  Debbie Reynolds was a well renowned actress whose role in Singing in the Rain is legendary.  Carrie Fisher was able to establish herself as her own person.  Obviously, Fisher's most well-known role was as Princess Leia in the Star Wars films.  However, she also played memorable roles in other great films such as Shampoo, The Burbs and When Harry Met Sally.  Even being a daughter of a legend ,and battling mental illness on top of that, didn't stop Carrie Fisher from establishing herself in the world of cinema and pop culture.


Even though the two would inhabit two different cinematic worlds, Carrie Fisher and her mother Debbie Reynolds would maintain a very close relationship.  It is both sad and loving that the two would pass away within a day of one another.  Here's a small tribute I wrote in honor of both actresses:

Mother and Daughter Together Forever By: Will Barber

"One sang in the rain while the other proved the force was with us. Despite their different cinematic roles, they both put a smile on all of our faces. Though we may not have known them, they were both a part of our lives in one way or another. Whether a die hard fan or a casual viewer, the majority of people could relate to their everlasting presence on the big screen. Their lives may have been rocky in one way or another and the pressures of fame could very well have been hard on their very own relationship. In the end, however, they both bonded as one. For it was meant to be that the two would leave this world together, leaving behind a legacy for the whole world to continuously cherish and adore. For it was meant to be that Carrie Fisher and Debbie Reynolds would go on to a better place just one day apart. Just as we have their works to view throughout time, both mother and daughter are together forever!!"

Olivia Newton-John

Some people know her as John Travolta's girlfriend from Grease.  Other people remember her as the singer of the song "Physical" which got heavy rotation during the infancy of MTV.  However, behind the sweet gentle face of Olivia Newton-John is a strong woman who has overcome breast cancer and helped spread awareness to others about this affliction.

In 1992, Olivia Newton John discovered a lump in her breast after a self-examination.  Her doctor recommended a mammogram which turned out negative.  However, there was something that told Olivia that there was something more to this lump.  A surgical biopsy was performed and that's when the cancer was discovered.  At the time, Olivia was getting ready for a musical comeback after having a baby years earlier.  This certainly put that on hold.  In addition, her father died of cancer the same weekend of her diagnosis.

Despite this setback in her life, Olivia Newton-John overcame the odds like no other as she fought breast cancer and won.  She has claimed in her interviews that in addition to her treatment, her family and friends certainly helped her get through this tremendous ordeal.  After her battle with this disease, Olivia became an advocate for breast cancer awareness and an inspiration for those fighting cancer of any kind.   She partnered with Austin Health and created the Olivia Newton-John Cancer and Wellness Center in Melbourne, Australia.  In addition, she became a spokesperson for the product Liv-Kit, a breast self-examination product.  One of Olivia's themes in raising awareness for breast cancer has focused on early detection as that was definitely part of her story.

It also important to mention how Olivia Newton-John's recovery from breast cancer helped shape her song-writing.  Gaia: One Women's Journey was released in 1994 and the many of the songs on the album were inspired by her experience.  The album was praised by fans and critics alike and even reached the Top 40 in Australia.

Olivia Newton-John is indeed a one of a kind woman.  From her theatrical and musical performances to her inspirational messages, she has touched many lives in so many ways.  During breast cancer awareness month, it is important to remember those who are, or have, suffered from this affliction.  Following the story and message of Olivia Newton-John can definitely be inspirational to many.  It is important to note that to raise funds for the Olivia Newton-John Cancer Centre, she led a three-week 140 mile walk along the Great Wall of China.

Always Remember People!! Sometimes behind sweet innocent faces lies a fighter who is or has overcome the odds of Life!!!

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaia:_One_Woman%27s_Journey

http://www.olivianewton-john.com/bio.html

http://www.everydayhealth.com/breast-cancer/mylife/olivia-newton-john/landing.aspx

Will Barber's Story

It is very hard to write about oneself.  Looking back on one's experiences are hard.  However, if one's experiences shape the person that they have become in a positive light, then they are certainly worth sharing.  I have many friends on social media.  However, in my opinion, there are only a small few that actually 'Know' Me. One may think they know someone from their Facebook profile but many times there's more to the story. People know that I love exercising, writing, researching and anything about pop culture.  However, not everyone knows the reasoning behind why I became involved in these types of endeavors.  For the context of this very blog, I feel that this would be a good story to read to learn about finding self-confidence and overcoming your personal struggles.

Despite my love of exercise, I was never an athlete growing up.  I did play sports but was unable to really excel at them.  I was not born into a family of athletes or people that knew much about sports.  I do love watching college football and Major League Baseball.  However, I can honestly admit that my knowledge of sports is still very limited, comparatively speaking. Growing up in a family where the main topic of conversation centered around 'politics', it was extremely difficult to relate to other people as a young child.  My escape was the world of movies and television.  I became fascinated by these mythical characters in a world I wish only existed within my own.  I found a favorite sport which is more commonly referred to as sports-entertainment.  That was professional wrestling.  The combination of athletics and theatrics sucked me in.  I never grew out of it although I will admit I don't watch the current wrestling programs as frequently as I used to.  I dreamed of having a herculean physique like Hulk Hogan and the Ultimate Warrior or an athletic physique like Bret Hart or Shawn Michaels.  Being a skinny kid with no advances in athletics, this seemed certainly out of reach.  More on that later.

Most people know my father passed away when I was only twelve.  While this is certainly a part of life that people must go through, it was certainly difficult for a young boy such as myself about to enter his teen years.  My father had a storied political career in the state of Mississippi and I'm proud of his legacy.  However, I had been surrounded in a world of adults (and the adult's children for that matter) where I was praised for being the son of a political legend.  However, after my father's passing, that situation certainly changed overnight.  My father wasn't from an established family in the state of Mississippi and my mother wasn't really either and neither had brothers or sisters. The professional connections and friendship were pretty much over.  As a twelve year old boy, it is hard to understand and accept this type of situation.  I developed not so much anti-social behavior but my own type of introversion.  It wasn't that I disliked people.  However, due to the fact that personal connections in my life had changed overnight, I found it hard to reach out to others. In addition, I still had what some deem 'peculiar interests' which still made it hard for me to relate to people.  That sense of isolation leads to lack of self-confidence. 

As I previously mentioned, I always dreamed of a muscular physique so I joined a gym as a teenager.  Through the help of a personal trainer, I was able to learn how to work out.  Eventually, I began socializing with other people at the gym and would get my first job. In many ways, getting involved in a gym and then working at one may have saved my life.  One interest that I developed in high school which is still strong as ever is music.  I even began playing the guitar.  As most people know, there are many bad elements of society associated with musicians. That's certainly not to say that they don't exist in other social circles.  After all, sometimes the clean cut people can sometimes be the sleaziest.  However, I was at the verge of getting involved with people who were involved in drugs and alcohol.  Even with the lifestyles of some of my favorite artists, I'm proud admit that I'm still anti-drug and rarely drink alcohol  I feel the gym kept me away from that. Slowly, but surely, I began building self-confidence.  I eventually developed an interest in bodybuilding, at least from a spectator and promotion point-of-view.  Of course, there were still hurdles along the way.  Nothing happens overnight and gaining self-confidence doesn't happen that way either, especially if other aspects of your life need attention drawn to them.

I consider myself a pretty intelligent person as I have a great deal of book smarts having obtained both a Bachelors and a Masters degree.  However, looking at my academic progress from grade school to high school, one would not think I would achieve such tasks.  I have never been diagnosed with ADHD but I do believe I did suffer from certain aspects of it.  It was hard for me to pay attention and most importantly, I couldn't stand reading.  It wasn't like I failed every course I took but I certainly wasn't doing my best.  Eventually, I was able to develop a love of reading that only builds each and every day.  I realized that if I read works based on the movies and shows I so cherished, then I could build upon that and excel at reading other things.  This certainly helped me out as I entered college.  I became determined to study hard in college and it paid off.  I received a Bachelor's with Highest Honors from the University of Southern Mississippi in 2007  Even though I don't like politics as a profession, I eventually found peace with my father's career choice and have developed a love of political history.  I decided later on to get a Master's of Library and Information Science and have worked in a public library.  That's certainly ironic considering the fact that reading was something I once hated in my life but now enjoy almost more than anything else in this world.
I also began to make life-long friends in college.  This was something I had avoided doing before.

Although not as harsh as adolescence, the young adult years do present problems to people as they become aware of the situations in life they can or cannot handle and how to overcome the challenges of adulthood.  Many people on social media recall that my mother had a severe accident three years ago nearly losing her foot.  It was tough situation for me and I took on a responsibility that I never had before.  I would never blame my mother. However, I experienced great anxiety and depression related to this situation in my life. This forced to me to make sudden changes. I was still working out, but I began to overeat and not care about my appearance.  The situation got pretty bad and I started to not care about life.  That self-confidence that I had gained from my years of progress at the gym and my academic achievements began to fade.

Slowly, but surely, I found a way to pick myself back up.  I was contacted by a friend I knew from some of the gyms I worked at about being my health coach.  Basically, this was assistance with living a healthy lifestyle, whether gaining, maintaining or losing weight or even just living a healthy lifestyle in general.  Through her assistance, I was able to lost up to 40 pounds and develop personal habits for maintaining both my physical and mental well-being.  I feel better now that I have in a long time.  Therefore, I decided to become a health coach myself to reach out to people whom are interested in living a healthier lifestyle. 

I must also mention that even though I was raised a Christian and attended Christian schools, I had kind of strayed away from my personal faith.  I began to start praying to myself again and referring to various Bible verses.  I can't say I'm attending church on a regular basis nor am I directly involved in organized religion at the moment.  However, my relationship with God is much better than it was.  I consider myself an untraditional kind of Christian.  I love God and praise him for his son who died for our sins!!!

I am proud of my father's political legacy and love sharing it with others.  However, I do remind people that I am my own person just as everyone else is.  I still miss my father and I'm appreciative everyday for everything he did for his family.  I continue to research people's histories, whether family, military or political.  Without my political upbringing, I may not have found such a fondness for doing so. 

I would say that I have definitely overcome many obstacles in my life.  Even now, I continue to move forward.  There will still be obstacles to overcome.  No matter how much progress one makes in life, there's still always room to improve.  The main challenge many people face is they look for perfection and not progress. It's not about perfection that counts.  It's about your progress that counts.  This can relate to anything in your life whether it pertains to hour health, career or family life. 

Always remember some things people.  Everyone is special in their own way.  We all have different talents that make us shine as individuals.  Don't let anyone tell you otherwise.  Whether you are a struggling student with a lack of self-confidence or a person in late adulthood bitter about their own life, if you believe in yourself, everybody else will!!!

Diamond Dallas Page (DDP)

One may think its typical of someone like me to write my next Overcoming the Odds article on a Professional Wrestler.  However, I feel this particular person has Overcome more Odds than just in his Athletic Endeavors.  Wrestler Diamond Dallas Page (known as DDP) was grew up with dyslexia and ADD.  In fact, Page has admitted in interviews that even at the age of 31, he could still only read at a third-grade level.  Embarassed by this fact, Page became determined to read a book, a big one at that.  After a year, Dallas had read Lee Iacocca's first autobiography, a 352 page volume detailing the automobile magnate's career with Ford and Chrysler.  His perseverance paid off for sure.

Dallas decided to become a Professional Wrestler at the age of 35, an age not typically associated with athletic rookies.  After several years of wrestling in World Championship Wrestling, Dallas finally became a mainstream star around 1997.  Just as Dallas was entering the most successful point of his wrestling career, he suffered ruptures to his L4/L5 discs.  Discovering the health benefits of Yoga, Page made a recovery and would become World Champion and a household name in Professional Wrestling.  He Main Evented Pay-Per-Views with Sports Figures and Celebrities including Karl Malone and Jay Leno.  Eventually, he would enter World Wrestling Entertainment and TNA Wrestling.   He eventually would retire from WRestling but still makes occasional apperances including this past Sunday at WrestleMania 32 in Dallas in front of 101,000 people.

Since yoga had helped heal his body after injuries, Dallas would eventually form DDP Yoga. Mixing the best parts (in his opinion) of Yoga with his traditional principles of training, Dallas's DDP Yoga has swept the nation and has appealed to both men and women.  I do it myself in addition to my weight training and cardio.  I find it to have both strength training and cardiovascular benefits.  There are also suggested Nutrition Guides to go along with DDP Yoga.  You can purchase both at http://ddpyoga.com/

Combined with his DDP Yoga and a Positive Mindset, Dallas has helped various people turned their life around.  One man whose story was shown on National Television was Arthur Boorman.  Arthur had served and injured himself in the Persian Gulf War.  He risked never walking again, as was told to him by certain doctors.  His weight ballooned up to 300 lbs.  Most people gave up on him except for Diamond Dallas Page who reached out to him.  Arthur learned the positive aspects of living from Page in addition to the health aspects of DDP Yoga.  Although it was tough, Arthur would over 100 lbs. and is featured on several DDP's Yoga videos and workouts.
You can watch Arthur's story at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qX9FSZJu448

Of course, Dallas would also reach out to his fellow wrestling friends who needed some help.  Jake "the Snake" Roberts had lived with Dallas for a while and had taught him many of the aspects of the wrestling business that had helped Dallas become a success.  Jake's life had spun out of control with drug and alcohol abuse as well as bad health.  Dallas reached out to him and invited him to move in with him in Atlanta.  Jake lost up to 60 lbs. and was able to conquer his demons. In addition, Scott Hall (aka Razor Ramon) had experienced the same type of problems and was also invited to move in with DDP.  He eventually turned his life around.  Both he and Jake "the Snake" Roberts were inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2014.  The process that Dallas went through with turning Jake Robert's life around can be seen in the Documentary The Resurrection of Jake "the Snake" Roberts.  This also featured Scott Hall in his fight to overcome his demons.  This documentary, released in 2015 and Directed by Steve Yu, won best Documentary at Slamdance Film Festival.  Even Non-Wrestling Fans Praised the Documentary and past addicts have even credited it for helping them get them back on the right track again.  Some people called it the best Documentary of 2015 and there was some speculation that it would be in the list of nominations for Best Documentary at the Oscars last March.  It can purchased at I Tunes.  You can go to site of doc.
http://www.jakethesnakemovie.com/

Diamond Dallas Page has indeed Overcome many obstacles in his life.  Most importantly, he has proven to people that it is never too late in life to achieve certain reasonable goals.  He proved people wrong when he taught himself how to read at an adult level at age 30.  He proved people wrong by becoming a Professional Wrestling star passed the traditional age of an athlete.  He proved people wrong when he came back from an injury and became World Champion.  He has helped others prove people wrong such as Arthur Boorman, Jake "the Snake" Roberts and Scott Hall.  Many other people have turned their life around under the guidance of DDP Yoga, Nutrition and Dallas's positive thinking.

Diamond Dallas Page also serves as an Inspirational Speaker and has published two books.  He has also starred in several movies.

(Information taken from DDPYoga.com; DiamondDallasPage.com; Wikepedia; and Bigthink.com.

Sylvester Stallone

I wrote this article just a day after learning of the passing of actor Tony Burton.  In the legendary Rocky films, Burton played Tony 'Duke' Evers the trainer of Apollo Creed and later Rocky Balboa.  I also write this article just a day before the 88th Academy Awards and two days after the 52nd anniversary of Cassius Clay, Muhammad Ali, dethroning world heavyweight boxing champion Sonny Liston.  Sylvester Stallone has been nominated for Best Supporting Actor for his performance in Creed.  This is an offshoot of the "Rocky" films which, along with the "Rambo"

films, made Stallone a household name.  Sly, as he is called by some, is a cultural icon and has achieved worldwide success.  However, Stallone's rise to the top was far from easy. In addition, he has dealt with many lows in his personal life.  The purpose of this 'Overcoming the Odd's' article is to display not only the ways in which an actor overcame personal odds, but also to signify to readers that it is never too late in life to achieve a reasonable dream if you commit yourself.

It was Hollywood in 1975.  In just a year, actor Sylvester Stallone, would be the talk of the town with the premiere of Rocky.  At the time, however, Stallone was a 29-year-old struggling actor facing many personal and financial dilemmas.  Not only was his wife six months pregnant, Stallone only had $106 in the bank and his dog, Butkus, was starving.  Stallone was pressured by his wife to give in and take a regular job.  However, deep inside his heart, Stallone knew he couldn't give up trying to fulfill his dreams.  Even though taking up a regular job would help him pay the rent and get ready to support his child, Stallone could not give up what was in his heart.  After selling some his wife's jewelry, Stallone made a last ditch effort that was one of the hardest things any person could do.  He sold his dog, Butkis, for $50.00 outside of a liquor store.  Stallone has admitted this was one of the lowest points for him as he loved his dog. However, it would become an underdog story, no pun intended, that would even eclipse the character of Rocky Balboa in his next film.  Stallone had witnessed little known club fighter Chuck Webner go 15 rounds with Muhammad Ali in Ohio.  This inspired Stallone to write the script for Rocky.  Indeed, Sly's script would begin to garner much attention.  The bidding on it reached $265,000.  The problem was that the studios wanted James Caan or Ryan O'Neal to play Rocky Balboa while Sly insisted he play the character himself.  Sly was refusing the money in order to play the character himself.  He was risking everything.  Eventually, the producers settled on a less lucrative deal which allowed Stallone to play Rocky Balboa.  The rest they say is history.  1976's Rocky ended up winning three Oscars and grossed $225 million worldwide.  It also spawned five sequels as well as a spinoff in that of 2015's Creed.  

Sylvester Stallone's success would continue throughout the next three and a half decades with dozens of films such as First Blood, Cliffhanger, Copland and The Expendables.  Of course, even with money and success, Stallone would face other odds he had to overcome.  He would go through failed marriages as well as fluctuations of popularity.  In 2012, Stallone's son, Sage, whom starred in Rocky 5, passed away.  As one can imagine, losing a child has to be one of the most distinctive things a human being can go through.  Sylvester Stallone took home a Golden Globe for Creed in January of 2016 and paid tribute to his son.  Tomorrow, we will see if Sly takes home an Oscar like he Rocky did 40 years ago.  Interestingly, this is Stallone's first Oscar nomination since the film. 

Sylvester Stallone Overcame the Odds of possibly not succeeding and living his dreams.  He sacrificed his time and took a huge financial risk to become a worldwide icon.  At nearly 70 years of age, he continues to influence people such as my myself with his dedication to physical fitness.  Sylvester Stallone, there will never be another. He showed it's never too late in life to achieve your dreams.  Most importantly, Stallone proved a 5 foot 10 175 lb. actor could portray a character that was larger than life!!!


(Facts taken from article written by Sean Braswell "Stallone's Rocky Start" on ozy.com and Wikepedia)