An 8th Grade school project - The class was asked to write about someone that inspired them. This was submitted by KJ Turner. Joe Would Go - My Inspiration A very courageous person that inspires me is Joe Caruso. He and his family were very close friends of my own family. I was a friend of his son, Mason, who was only four, and the oldest of his two brothers. Joe was diagnosed with lung cancer in the year 2010, and later passed away in October 2012. My family, especially my dad, stood by his side as he was forced to battle a deadly disease that left him a small amount of hope, which he managed to make the most of. He’s definitely the most courageous person I’ve ever met. Joe was a little on the small side, despite his big personality. He was very fit and healthy, although he adopted a weaker look as the disease progressed. Another noticeable feature of his was that he was bald from the chemo therapy he endured, which also made him very skinny. He was never shy of smiling, which was very impressive considering what he was going through. Joe’s motto had always been “Get busy living,” which meant not to put things off until tomorrow, just in case tomorrow didn’t come. He was always very determined, and stayed very active even though the doctors advised him to take it easy and rest. He was a surfer and an athlete who competed in tons of races and triathlons that wouldn’t have normally been expected to be within his capability. He always had a very optimistic view of life, and stayed positive about anything that went wrong, including his diagnosis. There were countless examples of Joe’s courage, but there was one that really stood out. Joe competed in the Mooseman Triathlon at Newfound Lake in New Hampshire and successfully finished it, only to find out the very next day that the cancer had spread to his brain. This, to me, shows outstanding courage because even though he wasn’t aware of it yet, he was in a very severe stage of his disease. To know that he could pull off finishing a triathlon that included a 1 mile swim, a 26 mile bike, and a 6.2 mile run, which made it an Olympic distance triathlon, is very inspiring, and shows a large amount of bravery. Joe doesn’t only inspire me in athletic events, but in challenges faced during everyday life. Whenever I swim in races, or compete in my own triathlons, I always reach a point where I’m tired and on the verge of giving up. Joe is the person I think of in these moments, and I know that I’m able to try a lot harder. If Joe wasn’t in my life, I probably wouldn’t be as successful in any sports that I play today. Even when I just don’t feel like doing something because of I’m just feeling lazy, I know that what Joe accomplished was a lot harder for him, which usually makes my problem seem pointless. Thanks to Joe, I have achieved many things that I have never thought possible, such as getting fast times in my swim races, catching waves that seem to big, and being more productive with day-to-day tasks. He has inspired me and I look up to him.
Posted on: Fri, 04 Apr 2014 01:53:57 +0000
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