A 2008 high school graduate and his high school baseball coach set up a charitable foundation (Courage for Life) to provide life encouraging sporting experiences for high school athletes.  Why?  This is the story of John Challis. 

On June 23, 2006, John Challis, a high school junior, was told he had a liver cancer in the form of tumor in his chest the size of a football.  Although he could have withdrawn from his daily routine, John decided that his motto would be "Courage + Believe = Life".  The video below present John's inspirational story that has touched many youths and adults in the Northeast United States.

John Challis: Courage + Believe= Life

At age 13, John decided to stop playing baseball because he was afraid of being hit by the pitch.  That is, until the spring of 2008 when he decided it was time to face his fears again. 

John attends Freedom High School near Pittsburgh, PA.  All winter, he worked in the cages with the baseball team. He wanted to confront his fear of the ball and get his first varsity hit.

On April 14th, Freedom is playing Aliquippa. Freedom's baseball team needs to win the game to go to the playoffs.  In the third inning, John steps into the batter's box for the first time since he was 13.  Here's a video that describes his at bat.

I Felt Like Superman

John wasn't afraid of the ball anymore. Yet again, he showed that an individual can conquer their fear. Six days later, he had another at-bat in a game at PNC Park.  Although John did not get a hit, he had accomplished his goal for the season ...  to get his first varsity baseball hit.

Freedom's baseball team made the playoffs this year.  In the game against New Brighton, Freedom is down 7-1 in the seventh inning.  With three outs until elimination, his team rallies around John's "never quit" attitude to score 4 runs.  Bases are loaded and a batter lines out for the final out of the game and the final out of John's high school baseball career.

Now that John has graduated from high school, Steve Wentzel and John are busy raising donations and meeting professional athlete's to embody the mission of their foundation: Courage for Life.  This is a great story about how a young athlete is dealing with life changing events and having a positive impact on those around them.