Amazing Achievers

Foreword
by
David L. Boren
President of the University of Oklahoma
Former Governor of Oklahoma and U.S. Senator

It has been said that truth is found not in facts and statistics but in stories.  Rodney Bryan Pratz’s book Amazing Achievers certainly bears out that assertion.

All of us can think back to books which have had a profound impact upon us. They allow us to escape the boundaries of our own limited experiences and live through the observations, creative imaginations and life experiences of others.  Books can indeed change lives and indeed sometimes set in motion tides of historic importance.

Mr. Pratz has written this book because he hopes that it will change lives and indeed I believe that it will.  His hope for the reader is as he expresses it that this book will bring “renewed hopes into your heart” and help you to “achieve your goals and dreams.”

Some of the stories are about well known historic figures like Helen Keller who was both deaf and blind but did not allow these barriers to shut her off from life.  She had the courage to proclaim “Life is either a daring adventure or nothing.”

There are many other stories that help us to understand that we must never underestimate what determination can do and we must never allow circumstances to cause us to give up our dreams.  From Abraham Lincoln who refused to remain trapped in poverty to Carl Brashear who became a master diver even with a prosthetic leg made necessary by a life threatening accident, those who never give up hope end up accomplishing what appeared to be impossible.

Moving and inspirational stories of personal courage are all around us. They are not the exclusive preserve of the famous or powerful.  From Kristy Long who overcame crippling rheumatoid arthritis to become one of the most effective staff workers I ever had when I served in the U.S. Senate to Erik Weihenmayer who broke the stigma placed on the blind by society by climbing the world’s highest seven peaks. Mr. Pratz gives us stories of people to whom we can all relate.  This book is not the chronicle of only famous men and women, it describes the strength of the human spirit.  Its message is a universal one.

Two of those depicted in the book have a close association with the University of Oklahoma.  Charles Schusterman refused to accept a diagnosis that he had only one-to-five years to live and stretched those few years into seventeen meaningful years of life during which he became one of the university’s greatest benefactors, providing opportunities for generations of students for years to come.

Rosemary Roberson, who suffered from learning disabilities which could easily have deflected her, went on to graduate from high school and the University of Oklahoma and on to graduate school.  She serves as an inspiration and role model for children with disabilities.

This book reminds all of us, whether we face challenges large or small, to have the courage to embrace the possibilities of life and the determination to never give up on our dreams.

There is much truth in these stories of these men and women who refused to allow themselves to become victims and chose instead to be heroes.