My Cousin overcoming his stutter because of his boxing hero. I want to share this.

My cousin passed away recently so I feel like I wanted to share this story.

He had the worst stutter imaginable for the longest time. I remember that he could barely get words out and just stopped talking so he won't feel embarrassed. I remember the weekend I found out about his idol. My Aunt told me that he's favorite athlete is a British Heavyweight. I immediately thought Lennox Lewis (who's my favorite), so I was really excited that weekend because I wanted to talk Lewis... I went into his room and Jesus Christ .... there was two big Audley Harrison posters looking at me (I didn't even know Audley had posters) I started laughing right away and kept on making fun of my cousin for idolizing one of the biggest frauds and jokes in Heavyweight History. He walked out the room and left me there laughing, I stopped laughing when I saw the two big quotes underneath the poster..


'Setbacks pave way for Come Backs'

'Yes I can'

I guess those two quotes and the way Audley kept on trying again and again somehow touched my cousin in a way I'll never understand. I remember certain weekends I'll go visit him and he'll be up in his room trying to say those two quotes without stuttering... yet failing again and again. Last year was his first year in college and I remember the day when he dropped by to visit me with the biggest grin I ever seen .. and the first words he shouted at me was

'SET BACKS PAVE WAY FOR COME BACKS' 'YES I CAN' 'YES I CAN'

He finally did it, he overcame his stuttering.. I guess I was happy for him but never really paid much attention to just how great of a feat that was and how much of an impact Audley's two quotes had on him. He recently died in a car accident and I realized that maybe to everyone else Audley was a joke, (he certainly is a joke to me) but certain aspects of who Audley Harrison is and the way he live his life might motivate people in ways that most of us can never understand.

Set Backs pave way for come backs.... Audley will probably fail again, but I'm glad his quotes brought my cousin a measure of happiness and peace.