Growing up, life presents many obstacles. Between family, friends, school, work, sports, etc. it is a roller-coaster of emotions. And we come to learn that just as soon as we hit the peak of the roller-coaster, we descend just as fast.
This was the case for former World Wrestling Entertainment champion Marc Mero. He had experienced several highs and lows himself. These highs and lows spurred him to become the public speaker he is today and visit Newtown High School on September 9th. The presentation described his story, where he went wrong, and how he rose up above his faults and ultimately became a better person. He encouraged students to rise up and pursue their dreams; giving everyone there a dream card. On it, you can record your dreams and keep it as a personal reminder for you too
Aspiring to achieve his dreams of becoming an athlete at eight years of age, Mero eventually became an amateur boxer and won four New York State titles. He had even planned to go into a career of professional boxer had it not been for a broken nose. Unable to box for a year due to his injury, Mero filled the time by associating himself with the wrong crowd. From there, drugs and alcohol were prominent in his life, as was negative behavior directed toward his family. And it would take years before his dream resurface and reignited his motivation to work toward becoming a professional wrestler in 1990.
Things finally began to look up. Winning a grand total of three World Championship Wrestling (WCW) World Television Championships, switching over to the World Wrestling Federation (now known as WWE) and continuing to be a skilled wrestler in their midst, Mero was on top of the world. However, this grace period would not last. As time progressed, several of Mero’s close friends and family had died. Most of these losses were a result of poor lifestyle choices. Some however, such as both of his younger siblings and even his mother, was just tragic and an unsuspected string of events. These losses prompted Mero to take action.
In 2007, Mero had formed an organization called Champion of Choices. “The goal is to empower students to make the right choices;” Mero said. After eight years of traveling, thousands of students have had the pleasure of hearing Mero’s story; including those of us at Newtown High School. Many students here have found newfound hope and motivation to press on from hearing some of the relatable struggles. Not only have there been changes made in the lives of the students, but in Mero himself. “I never found the joy and happiness that I’ve had as I have had helping people," Mero said.
The overall theme of making the right choices connects topics such as drug abuse, family, and bullying in a speech. From school to school, the ride has been enjoyable for students, teachers, and those in CoC. "It was wonderful that Marc Mero was able to share his story with our students and community. I hope our students were able to take away at least one part of what he shared so that they can make positive decisions and stay on the right path through life's difficult decisions." NHS P.E. teacher Cheryl Lombardo said. But to Mero, the most important part of it all is being able to make waves in the lives of those he talks to. “I definitely enjoy being able to make a difference in the students’ lives. I’m so blessed to see that I’m able to help so many people,” Mero said. Lives since the creation the CoC have been undoubtedly changed in a positive light. And for that, we can be grateful.