The Person Who Inspires Me Essay Example

As one of the best goalkeepers of all time, Tim Howard has inspired soccer players and fans around the world, including me. Tim Howard has won seven players of the year titles, played nationally and internationally, and wrote a bestselling book, but that is not why I chose him as my role model. What makes him truly amazing is his work off the pitch. Tim overcame the challenges that having Tourette Syndrome brings, and advocates for kids with Tourette’s Syndrome by hosting summer camps and through his Howard’s Heroes organization. 

I relate to Tim, not only because I am a goalkeeper, but also because I have Tourette’s Syndrome. I was diagnosed with Tourette’s Syndrome at the end of second grade, and I didn’t know anyone else who had it. I met other kids at a support group who had TS, but I didn’t feel like we had anything else in common. At the time I was playing goalkeeper, and I did not know if having Tourette Syndrome would impact my play. Soccer is my happy place, and I did not know if my tics would be something that would be a difficulty on the field and keep me from playing my best.

In March of 2019, I got to meet Tim Howard. His team, the Colorado Rapids, was in town to play FC Dallas, and I got to watch him play. He was truly amazing. After the match, I got to go to the locker room to meet him as part of his Howard’s Heroes program, which he uses to reach out to kids in the Tourette Syndrome community and be the person he didn’t have growing up.  

He was so wonderful and signed a copy of his book and his jersey, but the most inspiring part of the meeting was getting to ask him questions. We talked for half an hour, and I learned things both about being a goalkeeper and Tourette's Syndrome. The best advice he gave me was to be patient in the goal box, not rush things, and to be confident in my abilities both on and off the field. He is everything that you would expect when you meet your hero. He is smart, compassionate, and a leader. From being a goalkeeper, having Tourette Syndrome, and talking about how successful he is in spite of his TS, I finally felt like there was someone else out there like me.  I had struggled to accept my Tourette Syndrome as part of me, but meeting Tim Howard helped me overcome that. Meeting Tim may not have had the biggest impact on me as a soccer player, but it did as a person.

Though nobody is perfect, I can confidently say that the person who inspires me the most is Tim Howard. Tim Howard has the characteristics that I want to embody. A role model, a leader, smart, compassionate, and a top goalkeeper. Over the years Tim Howard didn’t just play soccer, he left a lasting impact on so many people, especially me.