But like all businesses, you either need to buy something or pay for a service they offer…or leave.

So Blake was challenged with learning to bowl.

He got some strange looks from the other lanes at first, but Blake accepted the challenge with open paws. Katelyn had all the faith in the world in her furry friend:

“We always thought it would be fun to teach him how to bowl so as soon as he got tall enough to reach the ramp we put a ball up there and we tried to just see what happens and he loved it.” 

“We just put the ball on top of the ramp and we held a treat like above the ball.

We’re like ‘come on’ you know kind of helped him, showed him a couple times just pushed the ball with his arms and he caught on and just started doing it on his own.

“I think his high game is like a 93. He gets strikes every once in awhile, pretty good spare shooter.“

You have to see this to believe it; too cute!

Source: Sunny Skyz

The post Puppy Loves Bowling Alley, But Is Told To ‘Learn To Bowl Or Leave’ – Challenge Accepted! appeared first on Addicting Stories.

And sometimes, the lives of others as well.

Unfortunately, some athletes also have a “get the win at all costs” mentality, which can prove dangerous.

This is exactly the sort of mentality that could’ve cost a dog its life but thankfully, the athlete in question was a compassionate soul.

It was indeed a split-second decision and all animal lovers will agree it was the right one:

Rally racer Carlos Matos was screaming around a turn in the Constalica Rallye Vouzela competition last month.

It was his second pass through a turn in the roadway and he was pushing hard with a 90 mph, medal-contention pace.

But in a flash his path to victory fell apart when a dog wandered onto the roadway in front of him.

Without thinking, Matos whipped the wheel of his Ford Fiesta R5 and sent his car into a sliding stop, and left his car facing the wrong way on the track.

His split-second decision saved the dog which quickly ran away.

Matos, not one to stop racing, slammed his car into gear and ripped off a fast U-turn in an effort to get back on track and make up time.

Despite his effort, saving the dog’s life added seconds to his race time and ended up costing him any chance at winning the race.

But Matos, who hails from São Pedro do Sul, Portugal, wouldn’t change his decision to save the dog no matter what it cost him in the racing world.

“Those who know me know that I have a great admiration for animals,” the driver told race officials.

“I have five dogs in my house, and there is one that, at night, does not lie down until I arrive.

“If the episode were repeated today, I would do exactly the same thing,” he stated.

Matos made a winning decision in that race that changed two worlds – his and that of a fortunate stray dog.

Okay, so he didn’t win the race.

However, we all know there were TWO winners that day, thanks to Matos championing a mentality all athletes should follow.

Source: Good News Network

The post Dog Suddenly Runs In Front Of Racer’s Car…The Driver’s Split-Second Decision Leaves The Crowd Speechless appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Some of us have a single dream that keeps us focused. Others of us dream as many dreams as our hearts can hold; all of us hoping that just one will come true.

Jen Bricker spent the first few years of her life in a Romanian orphanage. Those years were spent fighting to survive more than dreaming.

She had been placed there by parents who didn’t want her simply because she wasn’t perfect. That would be a pretty big dream killer for anyone.

Some people’s imperfections aren’t obvious and they can slide by without a lot of attention. Jen wasn’t that lucky.

As soon as the doctor had told Jen’s father that their baby had been born without legs, he told them to take her away. They never wanted to see her again.

Her mother never held her, never smelled the scent of her fresh washed hair. She didn’t see her first smile or hear her first gurgling laugh. Her husband had said “the baby must go” and so it was gone.

When a couple from a small town in Illinois (a spot on the map so small that they say the population is 50…if you count the dogs and cats) were told about Jen’s plight they immediately said, “we want her.”

They made the arrangements and soon Jen came to live with Sharon and Harold Bricker and their three boys.

From the beginning the couple had decided that they wouldn’t make any sort of distinction between their kids because of Jen’s difference.

Jen never knew the meaning of the word can’t and from the time she met the Brickers she was told there was nothing she couldn’t do.

If you are never given limits, you never know where they are. Jen soon realized she could do anything her brothers could do. 

She could do some things even better.

Being born without legs means you develop a lot of other muscles to be able to get around.

Jen quickly learned that those muscles could do things for her that most “normal” people couldn’t do. She had never spoken her dream aloud but one day she told her parents:

“I want to be a gymnast.“

Some people might have rushed to remind their daughter of all of the ways she could be disappointed by that dream. Not the Brickers. They told her, “If you think you can, you can.”

And Jen thought she could. She started at age 7 on the family’s trampoline.  Soon she was competing seriously in tumbling and gymnastics. Always against kids who had no physical abnormalities.

It didn’t take Jen long before she had become a force to become reckoned with, and a household name to anyone who knew anything about gymnastics.

Being good wasn’t good enough for Jen though. She wanted to be the best.

It’s a little hard to believe, even for Jen, she admits, but while she was in high school she became the tumbling champion of the State of Illinois!

Can you believe it? The photo above may be a bit fuzzy, but it’s easy to see that it’s Jen in the forefront.

Jen didn’t stop at learning how to tumble. She played Little League softball with her brothers. She played basketball with her school team. She excelled at every sport she tried. Even volleyball.

She hadn’t ever learned to say “I can’t” so she had no problem “just doing it.”

When we all are beginning to dream, we can usually always remember the person or the event that sparked that desire in us. Jen always knew exactly who her inspiration was.

She used to sit glued to her TV set watching the U.S. women’s gymnastics team compete.

Dominique Moceanu, the 1996 Gold Medal winner, was her hero, the person who gave her the inspiration to start dreaming what sounded at first like an impossible dream.

Many years later Jen finally asked her parents about how she had come to be with them. She asked if there were any facts about her history that they hadn’t shared with her.

There were. Jennifer’s birth surname had been…wait for it…Moceanu! Dominique Moceanu was in fact Jen’s biological sister.

Jen was floored. Her life had been focused on being like someone that, as it turns out, in a normal familial relationship would have been the big sister that was her idol no matter the situation.

Jen held that news close to her heart for four years before she finally got up the nerve to send a letter and documents proving their relationship to Dominique.

She says she will never forget the date, December 10, 2007. It was a date that she says changed her world.

She told the New York Daily some of the words in that letter:

“I feel that I have one chance to show you and prove to you that I’m not some crazy person, but I’m sure after seeing all of the papers, you’ll see that I’m serious.”

Dominique was stunned when she received the letter. She immediately went to her mother and demanded to know the truth. And the truth was exactly what Jen had stated.

So Dominique wrote back to Jen and told her she thought they should meet.

As it turns out, Dominique told Jen later, what had happened was probably the best thing that could have happened for her.

Her birth parents were not good role models and her life with them would have likely been as rocky as Dominique’s had been.

In fact, Dominique had legally emancipated herself from her parents at the age of 17. They were gymnasts and had forced Dominique to begin training at age 3.

Hence, she did not get to choose her dream. It was demanded of her.

Not only did they control her life but Dominique later presented paperwork to the court proving that her parents had squandered her hard-earned fortune.

At one time she even took out a restraining order against her father who was stalking her and she feared had killed two of her friends.

Yes, Jen was definitely better off growing up safe and happy among the Bricker clan! Even though they didn’t grow up together, Dominique and Jen have since developed a close bond and continue to marvel at their similarities.

“The tones in our voices, our handwriting, the way we laugh and chuckle. It’s mind-blowing,” Dominique told ABC.

Jen described her own feelings about her sister in an interview with The Mirror.

“Since then we’ve become close and I feel like a piece of the jigsaw of my life has fallen into place.”

Not only did Jen find out she had a sister, a year after meeting Dominique she was introduced to their younger sister Christina. Again she said, “it was like looking in a  mirror.”

Jen never saw her lack of lower appendages as a handicap. When one of her friends mentioned her handicap in conversation Jen stopped her.

“I don’t have a handicap,” she protested.

The friend stuttered a bit. “B-b-but you have to use a wheelchair.”

Jen rolled her eyes.

“Not because I have to,” she said firmly. “It’s just to keep me from getting dirty.“

With that kind of attitude it’s no wonder that Jen Bricker has walked taller and prouder than most people born with working legs. And we know she will keep doing that throughout her life.

Thanks to her own strong will and good parents who proved that you can give a child wings just by saying to them “you can do it.” And believing it right along with them.

Keep flying high, Jen Bricker. You’re an inspiration to all of us.

Source: GIMUNDO

The post Legless Gymnast Shocks The World, Then She Finds Out Who Her Sister Is…And Her Jaw Drops appeared first on Addicting Stories.

It is about competition, of course, but more importantly, it’s supposed to teach the kids several valuable lessons.

Not only is it one heck of a life experience, it also gives the players a chance to meet other children from all over the globe, and participate in a number of off-field events.

Of the utmost importance? Sportsmanship.

There’s a reason why the kids slap five and say “good game” when the contest is over. There’s a reason why every player on every team gets a chance to play in every game.

The bottom line is that they’re all in it together.

And there’s no better example of that maxim than what happened after Venezuela defeated the Dominican Republic 3-2 on a walk-off triple.

The pitcher who gave up the winning hit, Edward Uceta, was crushed. He collapsed to the mound in tears and you’d think his coaches and teammates would rush to his side.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CllgsS2hpms

Well, they did. But others did as well…the coaches and players of the winning team.

You don’t often see the winners consoling the losers in sports. In the world of professional sports, it almost never happens.

But here, on vivid display, is that aforementioned sportsmanship, which is the most important lesson every kid will learn from the Little League World Series.

Furthermore, let’s not forget we’re talking about teams from completely different countries; countries that don’t always like each other.

To see this sort of thing isn’t merely a lesson for the kids, but a lesson for the entire world.

…perhaps that’s a tad melodramatic but it’s true nonetheless.

Source: Sunny Skyz

The post Losing Little League Pitcher Collapses In Tears – Then He Looks Up And Can’t Believe His Eyes… appeared first on Addicting Stories.

If athletes are honest, they’ll tell you they’re superstitious. They believe in things like luck and faith and destiny.

They believe that silly little rituals can actually have an impact on their performance and the outcome of the contest…and you know, perhaps those rituals aren’t so silly.

What do we know, really? Nobody can prove there’s no such thing as luck.

And after you see this, you might just believe there’s a little something beyond luck, something more closely related to the aforementioned faith.

During a St. Lucie Mets game versus the Charlotte Stone Crabs late last month, one autistic boy got the surprise of a lifetime, and he returned the favor almost instantaneously.

The ever-popular Tim Tebow was on deck when Seth Bosch, a high-functioning 10-year-old autistic boy, decided he’d take a shot at getting Tebow’s attention. Kids do this all the time, if you didn’t know.

When athletes are in the on-deck circle, it’s your best shot at getting some acknowledgement from the player. Of course, you rarely get it but you can always try.

And try he did and because Tim Tebow is such a nice guy, he didn’t just acknowledge Seth; he came right up and shook his hand.

That’s what did it. Because seconds later, this happened:

Couldn’t have scripted it any better, could you?

Tebow turns around and smacks a home run, much to the delight of Seth and all the fans behind him. The funny part is that his mother predicted it!

Bosch has hasneurofibromatosis, a genetic disorder that produces tumors on nerve tissue, and he has a tumor behind his right eye that makes it tough to play sports.

But on that day, he was king. He had the good luck touch and Tebow turned it into three runs for the home team (two men were on base when he cracked the homer).

“When Seth came back to his seat, he was crying,” Seth Bosch’s mother Ileanna told the Tampa Bay Times.

“And then Tim hit the homer. I started crying, too. How does that happen? I think God brought Seth and Tim together.”

But it didn’t end there because after the game, Tebow met with Seth again and got a couple pictures taken.

This is the sort of thing that more athletes need to do because if kids are going to look up to these guys, they better be role models. And if they can shake a hand, they should shake a hand.

Not only will you endear yourself to your fans (always important) but you might just also get a stroke of luck at just the right time…

Too many nasty stories circulate in the media; there are far too many selfish, obnoxious punks playing professional sports today, so the “role model” can be difficult to find.

Tebow certainly qualifies, though.

Karma believers, faith believers, luck believers; this is right up your alley.

But even beyond that, it’s a classic feel-good story that’ll never get old, no matter how many times you see it or hear it. And those stories are endlessly special.

Source: New York Daily News

The post Tim Tebow Meets Autistic Boy During Game – Then Does Something He Will Never Forget appeared first on Addicting Stories.

Even when faced with seemingly impossible obstacles, the disadvantaged bravely find ways to overcome those obstacles. They fight every day and they should be applauded.

So many are inspirations to all of us and frankly, they make lazy non-disabled individual look really, really bad.

Those who don’t have to face such obstacles shouldn’t complain, and should never take their able-bodied life for granted. They have no clue what it’s like to, say, have no arms.

35-year-old Matt Stutzman was born without arms and while obviously a major inconvenience (to say the least), Matt hasn’t let that stop him from attaining his dreams.

Not only is he a father of three who hunts and drives a car, he’s also a world-class archer. That’s right: Archery, with no arms.

Stutzman first began competing back in 2009, with the outside hope that he might make the U.S. Archery World Cup Team.

He did manage to win Silver in 2012 at the Paralympic Games in London but that really wasn’t good enough for him. He wanted to compete against the able-bodied and show what he could do.

Now, he just did the seemingly impossible: He not only competed favorably against guys with arms…he beat them all.

That’s right, Stutzman just won first place – a gold medal – at the target competition, and second place at the open compound final of the USA Archery Outdoor National Championships in Westfield, Indiana.

He uses his feet to shoot, as you can see by the picture here. And Stutzman, now known as “The Armless Archer,” had only one thing to say to Fox 59:

“If a guy without arms can get a bow and sit down and compete with the best in the world at a sport with them using their arms, what’s your excuse?

Why aren’t you doing what you want to do? Get off the couch and get it done.”

Perfect.

It’s the message far too many in America need to hear, as we’ve got a LOT of do-nothings sitting around out there. Stutzman wins gold medals with no arms…what have you done lately?

It’s just a matter of perseverance and having the right attitude. And it proves humans can do incredible things when they put their minds to it.

We sort of learn this lesson early on in life – teachers and parents try to tell us this – but sometimes, it doesn’t really sink in until you see guys like Stutzman.

Source: GoodNewsNetwork

The post Armless Archer Wins Gold, Then Hits Couch Potatoes With 8 Perfect Words appeared first on Addicting Stories.