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This month's unsung hero: Shalee Lehning

As a basketball fan I view a lot of games on TV and in person each year. I have only been to the state of Kansas once and have no affiliation with Kansas State University, but in 2006 I first watched a freshman point guard literally toss her body all over the court for her team. She didn't give an inch, pushing harder than anyone on the playing floor, and yet, in spite of this exhausting effort, I saw a real joy written on that fully focused face. I was so impressed by her "can do" spirit that I started to follow her team.

I soon discovered that Shalee Lehning always gave everything she had every night she played. My family was so "wowed" by her efforts during televised games, we went to watch Shalee play in person. Amazingly she always seemed to exceed her own talent level and perceived potential through massive effort and desire. In other words, her game was always growing! We were not the only ones who noticed how much she gave. We soon realized that after every game scores of kids followed her around and "this college star" always took the time to make each of them feel special. She was a magnet for young and old alike and it was all because of the way she spoke through her attitude and effort.

As we visited with those had known her for years, we discovered the real reason so many lionized this young person. Shalee tried as hard to live up to the highest moral and ethical standards off the court as she did on the hardwood. In the classroom, through her Facebook page, though all the other areas of her social experiences, Shalee knew the eyes of the world were on her and she was therefore moved to reflect the image of Christ to those who stopped and watched her in each of her life pursuits. That spirit is what put the smile on her face and the drive in her actions.

Here is the bottom line, the kind of attitude and effort Shalee gives so readily and naturally always speaks volumes and makes a huge impact on more people than any of us can imagine. It draws others to us. Best of all, we can all do this. Neither age nor vocation can limit our ability to give everything we have in each of our very public tasks. Her devotion to life and deep faith has blessed so many already and I have no doubt she will continue to for years to come.  I know she has made me a better person by just getting to watch her on the court and know her off the court.

Shalee is what we all could be if we put ourselves second and all others first, put TEAM before our own selfish desires and gave all we had in everything we did.  It is people like this college kid who make the world a better and brighter place.  If you get a chance to watch her play, do it.  And if you get a chance to meet her, don't miss it.  There is no one like her but I sure wish there were a lot more Shalees in the world.

Here is Kathy, Shalee Lehning and me after the Kansas State basketball game on Saturday in Manhattan, Kansas. She looks pretty cool to have just played 40 minutes of college hoops.

The Hero Challenge

I feel that recognizing a hero each month is not enough.  In order to fully pay honor to that inspirational person, I feel I must do something during the month that reflects their life example.  As your read this month's tribute you will learn that Shalee Lehning gives everything she has in everything she does.  So to honor Shalee each day I am running a 60 yard sprint and doing a push up for every minute Shalee plays in her most recent game. That means today I ran thirty-seven (37) sixty (60) yard sprints and did thirty-seven (37) pushups.  I will continue that daily routine until Kansas State's next game. I will then check the box score and see if Shalee's minutes played will either move that number up or down.  I have found that this routine makes me stronger, gives me a more positive outlook and helps me stay in better shape.  In fact, I am going to continue it after our month long tribute to Shalee has been concluded.
 
My challenge to anyone else who is inspired by this month's hero is to do something similar to what I am doing to honor Shalee.  Pledge to give your all doing something extra. If you can't run a sprint for every minute Shalee's played in her most recent game, then walk or jog a tenth of a mile for every one of minutes.  If you can't do that, then do something else Shalee does everyday - pray.  A good formula might be to pray for the number of people that equal the minutes Shalee played in her last game.  Surely you can think of thirty-seven or so people who need a prayer each day.  The key is, don't just be awed by her zest for life, embrace that spirit in some way in your own life too!
 
You can find out how many minutes Shalee has played in her most recent game by going HERE then clicking on the Stats Link for the last completed game on that schedule.  In the box score, minutes played is usually listed as MIN.
 
Our next hero was a friend of mine from high school whose vision was incredible!  She might have been blind, but she saw things I often missed.  Wait until you see what I do and challenge you to do to honor Janie!