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When you talk about athletes like Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow and 8-Division Boxing champ Manny Pacquiao, the word "mania" as well as an equally passionate sect of critics are sure to follow.
But the similarities between these two popular athletes don't end there.
For starters, they were both born in the Philippines and are passionate about effecting change and improving lives of the many less fortunate Filipinos.
"I was born in the Philippines and my parents have been missionaries to that area since 1985. The Philippines have always had a special place in my heart. I’m excited to be a part of this hospital that will bring healing to thousands of children who would not otherwise have access to care," Tebow is quoted on the website TimTebowFoundation.org.
The college football Heisman Trophy winner is building a hospital aptly named The Tebow CURE Hospital in Davao City, Philippines through his Tim Tebow Foundation and CURE International.
Pacquiao, on the other hand, has been doing charity work throughout the Philippines since finding success in the brutal ring of pugilism. Not only has the Sarangani City representative invested his money and time to feed the needy, he too, like Tebow, is building a hospital, a 200-bed tertiary medical facility in the town of Alabel.
Both men are of strong faith, and have not been shy in sharing their message in an effort to impact society in a positive way.
“It’s one thing to score touchdowns and win championships and trophies, but at the end of the day that doesn’t matter. If you can affect people, change people’s lives and be a good role model, someone that a mom or a dad can look to their son and say, ‘Hey, that’s how you need to handle it,’ then that’s my ultimate goal. That’s ultimately how I’d define my life as having success if I can reach that,” Tebow said in one of his interviews.
“When I started fighting … every time I saw poor people in the street, I was kind of thinking, ‘I hope that I can help them. I hope I can give them food.' I wasn’t thinking about entering politics but it was my dream," Pacquiao was quoted in an article by The Ring Magazine. “I hoped to help them. … I was just thinking, imaging that I could help them. I could feel what they were feeling because I’ve been there.”
Good role models are underappreciated and are a dying breed these days. In a world where self-promotion, obnoxious behaviour and extravagance is glorified and perpetrated in the media, it's refreshing to know that there are still some athletes who are willing to take on the challenge of trying to be positive role models and doing the right thing.
Tebow and Pacquiao are often maligned for things they can't do in their respective sports. They say Tebow has poor mechanics; they say Pacquiao simply overwhelms his opponents and has inferior skills, but whatever these two lack in a whatever area, they more than make up for it with their "heart"- and they win.
Truth is, nobody is perfect; it's man's flawed nature to be such. But when you have people who try to use their success as a tool to give back and help those in need, it makes one realize the insignificance of wins and losses and the true meaning of what a real champion is all about.
[ALSO READ] The enigmatic mind of Victor Ortiz / The truth behind the Pacquiao-Mayweather debacle: A Rationalization / Quote of the Week - Mark Munoz: "The Filipino culture.. these are my roots man. I grew up Filipino. I grew up around Filipinos. I just love my culture man."
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