Motivational Speaker at US Special Olympics
with over 34 years of professional
speaking around the world Jim Cathcart
is one of the best-known and most
award-winning motivational speakers in
the business he has delivered more than
2,700 presentations around the world in
addition to being a Hall of Fame
professional speaker he is a best author
and one of the country’s leading
executive coaches in 2007 he was listed
as one of the top 100 minds of personal
development by leadership excellence
magazine he has served on the advisory
board of the School of Business at both
Pepperdine University and California
Lutheran University please welcome the
CEO and founder of Cathcart Institute
incorporated Jim Cathcart
Wow
look at you take a moment and soak it in
feel what’s here in this room look
around you look up look behind you look
besides you just look around and take it
in you just heard that I’ve delivered
2700 speeches over my 34 years of
speaking I got to tell you this is the
number one most motivated audience I’ve
ever addressed number one absolutely
whoo when when the world looks at top
athletes they often comment on how
motivated they are well I’ve studied
motivation for over 34 years and what
I’ve learned is everybody has motives
but what separates the winners from the
rest of the crowd is that they act on
their motives they develop the
discipline they take the time and do the
actual work to become their best and
today we’re going to meet some of the
most motivated athletes in the world
individuals who have made the commitment
to do more than other people thought
they could everyone needs a vehicle for
self-development and an avenue for
self-expression in order to succeed for
these athletes sports is that vehicle
and Special Olympics is the Avenue like
you I am very proud to be part of this
wonderful event
let’s meet some of these great people
Christopher was not your typical child
it wasn’t until the age of four that
Christopher was able to speak and
communicate but that never stopped
Christopher from expressing his emotions
and unique abilities chrisser was six
years old when we first had him to start
swimming at the local YMCA need some
every Saturday morning and every
wednesday afternoon meets and then we
practice every evening he just got
better and better when Christopher was
old enough to participate in the Special
Olympics there was no team in his
immediate area so Christopher and his
family would drive miles to compete for
his older brother kevin was also one of
the coaches there on this team and after
the second year his Kevin just said mom
why are we driving 45 minutes to an hour
to get to get to the pool why don’t we
just start our own team here at our
local line I think we started with just
us three as coaches and we had maybe
twelve swimmers and 12 or 13 swimmers
and I think we’re now I think with a
large team in the state my two brothers
Matt and Kevin they taught me how to do
flip turns and different strokes
Christopher was helping the community
learn about how sport could provide a
vehicle to create a level field for
competition and participation but it
didn’t stop there swimming was just
beginning to showcase Christopher’s
ability when he is on that Marlin team
heal my special needs team he’s a
practice he’s their role model because
he’s such a fantastic summer yeah I did
teach the Marlins and I was very team
later today the Marlins have 42 swimmers
and a long waiting list of community
members wanting to volunteer to help
support the team I think part of the
reason why they volunteer their time is
through because of Christopher because
they know
and they realized hey he’s a pretty cool
kid I think it’s great because you know
we kind of set an example and then
people kind of followed it not only
followed it but when I step above to
become special needs teachers as well
Christopher also tried out for the
competitive swim team at his local why
he didn’t make it but he never quit he
kept practicing and three years later a
new coach welcomed him it’s all nervous
at first but um honestly you know from
day one I treated him like any other
swimmer on the team and he’s responded
like any other storm on a team I he’s it
he made the team on his own he’s good
enough to swim with everyone else he’s
gonna be on the team I do see
Christopher as unifier because um you
know like chris has a lot to deal with
and he never complained its inspiration
to coach and to watching I think that
feeds off on our other swimmers and uh
really helps his team be what it is
Christopher’s biggest challenge came in
2007 swimming in high school was awesome
at first I was a little concerned
because I’ve never coached anyone with
special needs so to me it was gonna be
something new I was a little nervous and
a little bit hesitant but as soon as I
met Christopher and he started swimming
for us my mind was definitely
christopher has excelled tremendously I
mean he has come from getting fifth for
places and events in first and second
places to swimming for all different
types of events he really did well over
the past four years christopher has
become more than just a good swimmer he
played clarinet in the marching band
recently attended his second prom my day
was Larissa and that’s when she is in my
band class and she plays the flute it
was a lot of fun I tense a lot and
graduated with his classmates from high
school today Christopher is not your
typical kid he is a great role model and
his effect on people reaches far beyond
the pool like any success story
Christopher needed his vehicle to
achieve his potential swimming gave
Christopher that chance and not only has
he benefited but it helped show the
entire community what can happen when we
open ourselves to the possibilities
