The documentary , The mask you live in, showed some very interesting things about how certain men were raised, how they were affected by being treated in a this type of way and how they’ve been singled out by people.One thing that really jumped out to me is how all the guys in the videos had almost similar experiences. For example, there was one of the prison inmates that said because of the way he acted, he got beat up and sexually abused,and because of that he decided to stray towards the path of violence. Another example would be the young Latino guy who was acting out and selling drugs because of how he has been neglected and treated.In short its to say that if these guys could’ve expressed their feelings without being judged , they would not be in this type of situation. In fact less than 50% of these men reach out for help because they’re scared to be seen doing something, the norm would consider weak.

Secondly, the part where the teacher said that in elementary school, there was something called the mean club and like how the boys were not allowed to play with the girls. That part jumped out to me because of how I have lived trough something very similar back in elementary. In my school, there was two groups, the girls and the boys, we were never allowed to play with one another because the guys would think that playing with girls, makes you feminine or gay. Furthermore, if one of us were to accidentally end up playing with them, that person would be kicked out of the group but thankfully this phase didn’t last long and by the end of elementary we all stayed together without really judging too much. More specifically, this was due to the intervention of the school because of how certain guys developed a mentality that acting a bit more feminine or liking what the girls did was not okay. Seeing that we live in a society where even at a young age guys are meant to like more masculine things and are forced into liking things that they don’t necessarily like.

Lastly, in Carlos Gomez’s book, the part that stood out to me would be where he is unsure of his sexuality and is confused as to if he’s gay , more specifically the part where he says that he has had sexual interaction with girls multiple times but he talks in a way that makes it seem as though he’s not so excited. This passage tells me that he is doing this only because it is normal for a guy. To me it seems that he has been molded into a guy, liking a girl, but deep down i think that if society had not put barriers to what he can do, he would’ve turned out a different way. Likewise, in the documentary, it was shown multiple guys being bullied because of the way they acted causing them to lock down their emotions

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.