Adversity always makes us stronger

Every day, we are faced with adversity. Whether it is rehabbing an injury or taking a test, our ability to overcome challenges and become a stronger person is tested by the world. Some people do not have the strength to fight through adversity, however, instead succumbing to the challenges before them.

Look at professional sports, for instance. In almost every professional league in the United States, there are players who show so much promise yet continually make the wrong decisions. Instead of manning up and admitting to the mistakes they have made, players more often than not make excuses and look for the easy way out.

Then there is Jake Olson. The longtime USC fan who will join the Trojan family this fall was born with retinoblastoma, a rare form of cancer in the retina. At 12 years old, Jake lost both of his eyes despite doctors’ best efforts to save at least one eye. Despite all this adversity, Jake never let his loss of vision get between him and his love for sports.

When former head football coach Pete Carroll heard about Olson’s battle with cancer, he invited the young Trojan fan to meet the team. Olson made the 45-minute trek from Orange County up to the USC campus, where he got to meet with players like Matt Barkley and Kristofer O’Dowd.

Over the next several years, Olson was an inspiration for the USC team. A staple at both practices and games, Olson used his relationship with the Trojans as a way help him through the challenge of losing his eyesight, never complaining about the difficult time he was enduring.

“There were nights of crying and stressful times when I couldn’t get the thought of going blind out of my psyche,” Olson told the Los Angeles Times. “But every time I was up at ‘SC or talking to one of the players or just being around, it was just pure fun. And, truthfully, pure peace.”

What’s more impressive about Olson is his drive to continue playing sports despite being blind. Just five days after he had surgery to remove his eyes, he was able to play center for his middle school flag football team with the help of guidance from his friends.

By the time he was a senior in high school, Olson had played varsity athletics in both football and golf for Orange Lutheran. He faced numerous challenges in becoming a varsity player, however.

Olson first approached Orange Lutheran coach Chuck Petersen after his sophomore year at the school. Petersen never imagined that Olson would follow up or show such extreme work ethic. Olson was able to overcome his deficiencies and eventually become the starting long snapper for the Lancers. Olson was even part of a game-tying field goal that capped off a massive comeback against rival Servite. Not one time did Olson ever complain about his blindness; instead, he adapted and overcame the challenge.

“I learned quickly that I need to use other senses and realized that by using these other senses that things were possible,” Olson said to the Los Angeles Times. “It wasn’t limiting, it was just a different way of doing it.”

A story like Olson’s just proves how strong the human spirit can be. The phrase “you don’t know what you have until it’s gone” speaks to me after hearing this story. So often we take for granted the privileges we have in front of us, even the simple ability to see, hear and speak. Only after we lose these abilities do we truly appreciate all that we have.

Like I pointed out before, athletes take their abilities for granted far too often. Think of the numerous players who could have been great but weren’t able to overcome addictions, made excuses for missing training, or chose to go down the wrong path à la Aaron Hernandez.

As the great John Wooden once said, adversity only makes us grow stronger. We must be challenged to improve, and adversity is the challenger. Think about that for a second. Jake Olson is the ultimate example of how adversity makes us stronger.  He was able to overcome the immense challenges presented to him and become an inspiration for an entire school.

Nick Barbarino is a junior majoring in business administration. His column, “Beyond the Arc,” ran on Fridays.