Maureen Johnson
Daily Egyptian
For a long time, I tried to figure out what the concept of health meant to me.
I finally was able to come up with my own definition of health when I began to consider the healthiest person I've ever met.
I received my bachelor's at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh. While I was there, I swam for the team and worked as a lifeguard at the pool.
One night while I was lifeguarding, I met a freshman named Craig. He jumped right into the pool and started swimming. He must have swum at least 20 or 30 laps before he was done.
By the way, did I mention that Craig had no arms or legs?
Now at first glance, you might not consider Craig to be healthy. He clearly had more physical challenges to overcome than many of us. But the fact is, he overcame them.
Craig had come to the pool deck in a wheelchair, wearing a swimming fin below his torso. Without assistance, he came down from his chair and somehow made it to the edge of the pool.
I asked Craig if he needed help getting into the pool, and he just said he might need some help getting out. Then he jumped in and began to swim his laps.
As Craig swam, I stared at him in amazement. I began to feel guilty about getting out of swim practice early that day because of my shoulder injury.
When Craig finally finished his laps, he asked me to help him out of the pool, but his torso was so muscular that it took two guys to help me lift him back onto the deck.
Craig made it back to his wheelchair and somehow managed to get in on his own. He then left the pool area and went back to his dorm.
When I think about someone who is healthy, Craig often comes to mind. He had no arms or legs, but he didn't allow that to prevent him from having a healthy body.
If we compare Craig to someone who had arms or legs but never exercised, who is really the healthy one?
Craig's story also points to the major role our minds and spirits play in our health.
Craig used sheer determination to swim those 20 or 30 laps. He gave 150 percent to accomplish a task many of us could do with ease.
Craig managed to achieve balance. From what I could see, he attended not only to his physical health, but also to his mental and social well being.
Despite the challenges Craig had to overcome, he did very well in his classes. Even on the iciest days at the hilly campus of Duquesne, he could be seen making it to his early classes (although sometimes reluctantly).
Usually, Craig was also surrounded by friends. He and his male friends could be seen laughing and picking on each other. Like any other 18-year-old guy, Craig always joined the ribbing sessions.
From Craig I learned being healthy is not just about not feeling bad, and it even goes beyond feeling good.
The concept of health may be about doing the best we can with what we have in every aspect of our lives.
True health may not always be easy, but it can be achieved. Just ask the healthiest person I've ever met.
Published on 11/17/05; 12:24:44 PM
