In my life, I’m fortunate enough to have met a handful of men who’ve inspired me to become the woman I am today. Amongst them, one in particular has influenced me the most; my grandfather. To this day, I looked up to him as my second father and a role model for my family.

My grandfather, who I called Nonno, had the sweetest soul and the nicest heart. He would put everyone’s needs before his own and he’d priortized his family above anything else. This hard working man was born in Italy, and luckily for me, he had taught me how to speak italian and most importantly, I learned so much about my culture and how crucial it was to work hard and set goals for yourself. This hard working man was very family orientated and tried to spend as much time with his grandchildren as possible. My grandfather worked as a tailor in Montreal, and he made hundreds of suits for his clients, including the Priminister of Canada.

In the year 2012, my grandfather was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. With only a few months to live, he continued to be optimistic and he surrounded himself with family and friends who came to raise his spirits and help him enjoy the final months of his life. With each passing day, he pushed himself to see his grandkids for one more time. On Febuary 3rd 2012, he died in his hospital bed just three days after my birthday.

To me, being an inspirational person doesn’t mean you have to be famous, wealthy or young. Like my grandfather, an inspirational person is someone who inspires you to make a difference, to be a better person and overall, they inspire you to be the best version of yourself.

To my Nonno, you’ll always stay close to my heart. I love you.

Martin Luther King was a successful leader of the African American Civil rights moment in the United States. He was a minister which lead up to him being very good with speeches and great with talking and convincing others (except the whites of course). He was a very humble man. No matter how much the whites fight violently and the blacks wanted to fight violence with violence, Dr king convinced them that it was not the way to go. His verbal ability was so strong that his speech¨ I have a dream ¨”still has an impact on people today. Martin had a passion and was determined to persue it. That is why he is my male inspiration, because he never gave up on his dream no matter the obstacles in his way.

I decided to write my blog about Bear Grylls. Edward Michael Grylls, otherwise known as Bear, was my childhood hero. I loved watching Bear’s TV show, Man vs. Wild, and he inspired me to spend more time outside in nature.

Bear was a Lieutenant-Colonel in the British special forces (SAS), and one of their survival instructors. Bear used the skills he acquired during his time in the armed forces to host his own TV show, Man vs. Wild. In his show, Bear taught viewers the essential skills needed to survive in almost any environment. Bear’s survival feats include climbing Mount Everest 3 month after recovering from a spinal injury, leading an expedition in the Antarctic, crossing the North Atlantic ocean in an inflatable boat, and crossing the Northwest Passage in a similar inflatable boat. On top of all of those achievements, Bear was awarded an Order of the British Empire (OBE) for contributions to the UK and inspiring people to get out and enjoy nature wether solitarily, or in groups.

Bear has made many contributions to the vast community of outdoor enthusiasts and adventurers. Bear helps inspire new generations to embrace the outdoors; he is the Chief Scout of the United Kingdom, meaning that he visits youth groups around the UK and teaches them survival skills, as well as promoting the scouts organization. Bear’s TV show was part of the reason I am enrolled in the Environmental and Wildlife Management program at Vanier. Bear Grylls is a household name: I don’t know anyone who hasn’t heard of him. One of my favourite quotes from Bear Grylls is “Survival can be summed up in three words – never give up”

I believe that Barack Obama is an extraordinary man and a perfect example of an inspiring person. He is part of the people who are striving to change the world in order to make it a better place. He shows that even in the face of great adversity, one can always succeed. Obama is a great role model for many. Despite the racism that exists in America, Barack Obama has managed to become the first black president of the United States and become the leader of the most important democracy of the world.

His eight years at the White House have been marked by some great successes, such as the establishment of the Obamacare, the legalization of gay marriage, as well as the reconciliation with Cuba, after more 50 years of diplomatic crisis. In my opinion, Barack Obama is an admirable person. He is empathetic and able to understand the pain of others by putting himself in their shoes and helping them afterwards. In addition, he is a brave man who is not afraid to face obstacles and face all his enemies. Even in the face of failure, he doesn’t give up.

In my opinion, an inspiring person shows a lot courage and can show the world that anything is possible when you really want to accomplish something.

The person who has inspired me most, and to whom I thank for all that I am, is my dad. Fortunately, I grew up in a functional family where love and respect are paramount. Since I was young, I learned the fundamentals to succeed in life. Such as honesty, justice, independence, decision-making, compassion and caring about others. He would tell me to be a good person by treating people as I would like to be treated. Although, what has marked me the most is his coherence between what he preaches and what he actually does because it is easy to say things but to make them real is a whole different story. As well as it is easy to make a promise but it isn’t to keep it. Ever since, I have modeled his worthy values and behaviors that have turned out to build the person that I am. Even if I know that I am not perfect and that life is a long journey, I feel proud and completely happy to say that thanks to my dad’s guidance I have become a good person who knows who he is, what he wants, how to appreciate all the things that life provides me with and the people around me, how to stand tall when hard times come.

The man who inspires me is Jonathan Sibrulini. I look up to him because he has admirable characteristics that I aspire to inherit with time, and he motivates me to be healthier and a better person. When he was younger, he found himself hanging out with a bad crowd; vandalizing, stealing and doing lots of drugs. As things got worse for him, he found went to rehabilitation for is drug addictions and ever since then, he’s managed to stay sober for over 10 years. When he got better he devoted a lot of energy and time to help people avoid making the same mistakes he did. He gives speeches and spreads awareness throughout high schools and organizes events that give teenagers a chance to learn how to live a healthier life for the mind, body and soul while avoiding poor decisions. He started a non profit organization, hiring volunteers to share what they’ve learned about, diets, training, stretching, meditating etc. Jonathan is a leader, a good influence, motivated, a good teacher and has good morals, all of which are things I work on. 

My definition of someone who is considered to be inspirational, is someone who inspires people to be a better person and motivates them to achieve their goal in life.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is an NBA basketball player for the Milwaukee Bucks. Born in Greece, his parents immigrated from Nigeria a few months before he was born. Growing up in a very poor family with 3 brothers, his family struggled to get by, and Giannis and his brothers often had to miss school to sell little things such as pencils and fake watches just to get by. Giannis started playing basketball at the age of 13. Before that his true passion was soccer. He didn’t even like basketball that much. He started playing basketball when a local basketball coach found him playing soccer and was impressed by his size and dedication to improve. 4 years later he was offered a contract by a professional European basketball team. Despite soccer being his favorite sport at the time, he continued playing basketball because he knew it was his best chance at providing a future for him and his family. When he turned 18, he was drafted by the Milwaukee Bucks with the 15th pick of the 2013 NBA draft. This is when his career started.

At 18 years old, Giannis wasn’t much of a basketball player. He was a great athlete and a very raw prospect. He sent all the money he was earning to his family, and at one point he didn’t even have enough money for a cab to go to his game. He then started running to the arena where some Bucks fans saw him and offered him a ride to the arena. As years went on he worked as hard as he could winning the Most Improved player in 2017, and Most Valuable player in 2019. Being a very athletic player he started being called “The Greek Freak”, and was given the “superman” nickname by NBA legend Shaquille O’Neil. He is now considered one of the best players in the world or even the best by many.

He is someone who I consider to be inspirational as his is my favourite basketball player and has a very inspiring story. He came from extreme poverty to becoming a multi-millionaire playing a sport that he loves. His dedication to his game and to improving is what pushed him to become the player he is today. Since being drafted he gained 2 inches and 35 pounds of muscles making him an absolute monster. He is a very caring person as he is known league-wide to be a very friendly player, always making time to see fans before and after games.

The man who has inspired me the most in life is my father. He is the most honest and honorable family man I know and I could not ask for a better role model. My father started a family, his own company and works hard to support us. He inspired me to love wildlife and to be conscious of the natural world. he encouraged me to follow the sciences and he is the reason I am studying to become a wildlife technician. I think for someone to be inspirational they must not only be a teacher but also someone who pushes you forward in life to be great.

Kobe Bryant was a professional American basketball player in the Nation Basketball Association (NBA). He won 4 consecutive state championships in high school and directly got drafted by the Los Angeles Lakers soon after. As an NBA player he has won 5 NBA championships, has made 18 appearances in All-Star games out of his 20 years in the NBA. He was the first NBA player to have played at least 20 seasons. He also got the title “Most Valuable Player” in 2008.

To me, he is an inspirational player because he is a hard worker. He has achieved great things in his long career due the efforts he has given for the game he loves. His focus and hunger for victory are very well known among most NBA players and fans and that is one of the biggest reasons that most people and I find him inspiring. He has many practice session stories where he is the first on the court and last to leave it. Also, despite the amount of injuries he has suffered, he kept coming back strong to play and win the game. And that is why some consider him the Greatest Of All Time. Thinking of him, his work ethic, his drive and passion for the game inspires me to put effort towards my own goals and to work harder.

To summarize, my definition of an inspiring person is someone who is strong, passionate, driven and hardworking.

Someone who is inspirational does something not only for the good of themselves but for the good of others. Someone who is motivated, has goals and ambitions all while maintaining a smile and pushing through. A person who never gives up when they are faced with difficulties is someone who many could and should look up to. There are a lot of men who inspire me but in my eyes Terry Fox will always be the one who motivates me the most.

Terry Fox will forever be one of the most inspirational people to have ever lived. His name is known worldwide for his drive, devotion and of course for what he has accomplished. Terry was 18 years old when he found out he had osteogenic sarcoma. Around him Terry Fox could see how not only himself but many others were suffering from cancer and so decided to do something about it. He decided he would run to raise funds for cancer research. With his right leg being amputated he sill decided to run. Terry ran for 143 days with nothing but a positive attitude. He was extremely devoted and continued till his cancer had spread. He showed a lot of courage, devotion and he gave all of himself to help others who were suffering. Terry Fox showed to many people that it is possible to keep on going and fighting for what you believe in. To this day, over than $750 million has been raised in Terry Fox’s name to help find research for cancer. His act will never be forgotten for people all around the world still participate in the Terry Fox Run.

I will always look up to Terry for what he has accomplished is outstanding. I look for him in times I want to give up. I always tell myself if he could accomplish such greatness than so can I. He will continue to inspire me as I grow and face many new challenges.