I would like you all to meet a cheerleader who really defines what mental toughness is all about.  Her name is Lexus Kline and she cheers for the Wheeling All Stars in Follansbee, West Virginia. Her birthday is coming up soon; she will turn 11 on July 7^th. 

If you read my blog you know that I write a lot about persistence, courage, commitment, and dedication.  Well, Lexus has it all! Here is her story:

 Lexus has struggled with many medical problems since birth. She spent her first days at Columbus Children’s Hospital because she would just stop breathing. The first year of her life, her parents had to carry an alarmed monitor to alert them if her breathing stopped. 

In addition to this, Lexus has had multiple surgeries for a submucous cleft palate. One surgery resulted in a horrible allergic reaction which put Lexus on a breathing machine for 3 days. Her terrified parents were worried she wouldn’t make it. 

Lexus is tiny (She is 4’2” and weighs 51 lbs) because she has an insulin growth factor deficiency which requires her to give herself 2 shots a day of Increlex. Her tiny size sometimes makes her the target for taunts and teasing, with some kids calling her anorexic. (Bully-free zone anyone?) 

When Lexus reads, the letters jump around making it difficult to stay focused (and she also has ADHD).  It turns out that she has dyslexia and other learning challenges.  Still, Lexus maintains A’s and B’s in school which is a testimony to her intelligence and her drive and motivation!  Her parents said that she would have to give up cheerleading if her grades dipped and that is what motivates her – her love of cheerleading! 

Lexus is a flyer with he Wheeling All Stars and she is a good one. Cheerleading is her passion and you can see how devoted she is to the sport. (Oh – she also is on the swim team and began her first year on the softball team with hopes of being a pitcher!) 

I think Lexus is an inspiration for all of us.  Just look at the obstacles she has had to overcome!  Look at her drive and motivation! Look at her commitment to excellence!  Look at her courage! 

So the next time you start whining about how tired you are or how you don’t feel like studying, remember the little girl with the big heart – Lexus! 

Let’s all honor Lexus on her 11^th birthday (July 7^th) by making a commitment to strive for excellence and never, never give up.

Tags: cheerleader, Cheerleading, Mental Toughness, Wheeling All Stars

This entry was posted on Tuesday, June 28th, 2011 at 12:08 pm by Dr. Pam and is filed under All Star Cheerleading, Health issues, Mental Toughness, motivation. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.