Once I spoke at a high school. After the speech, I was asked to see a special student. An illness had kept the boy home, but he had expressed an interest in meeting me, and it would mean a great deal to him. I agreed.
He was Matthew. When he was born, the doctor told his parents that he would not live to see five, then they were told he would not make it to ten. Now he was thirteen. He wanted to meet me because I was a gold-medal weight lifter, and I knew about overcoming obstacles(障碍) and going for my dreams.
I spent over an hour talking to Matthew. Never once did he complain. He spoke about winning and succeeding and going for his dreams. Obviously, he knew what he was talking about. He just talked about his hopes for the future, and how one day he wanted to lift weight with me.
When we finished talking, I went to my briefcase and pulled out the first gold medal I won and put it around his neck. I told him he was more of a winner and knew more about success and overcoming obstacles（障碍） than I ever would. He looked at it for a moment, then took it off and handed it back to me. He said, “You are a champion. You earned that medal. Someday when I get to the Olympics and win my own medal, I will show it to you.”
Last summer I got the news that Matthew had passed away and a letter Matthew had written me a few days before:
Dear Rick,
My mom said I should send you a thank-you letter for the picture you sent me. The doctors tell me that I don’t have long to live any more. But I still smile as much as I can.
I told you some day I was going to the Olympics and win a gold medal. But I know now I’ll never make it. But I know I’m a champion, and God knows that too. When I get to Heaven, God will give me my medal and when you get there, I will show it to you.
Thank you for loving me.

Your friend,
Matthew

有一次，我去一所中学做演讲。演讲之后 ，我应邀去看望一个特殊的学生，由于患病，他只能在家休息，但是他很想见见我，说这对他来说意味着很多。我同意了。
他叫马修，他一生下来，医生就告知他的父母马修活不过5岁，接下来，他们又被告知他撑不到10岁，而现在马修已经13岁了，他之所以想见我是因为我是一名举重冠军，我知道什么是越过障碍并追逐自己的梦想。
我和他聊了一个多小时，从没听过他抱怨过什么。他谈到胜利、成功，谈到他的梦想。显然，他知道他在说什么，关于希望的将来，以及有一天他想和我一起举重。
当我们结束谈话的时候，我从公文包里拿出了我曾经赢得的第一枚金牌并把他戴到马修的脖子上。我告诉他，他才是一名冠军，比我更懂得成功和跨越障碍的意义。他盯着金牌看了一会，就把金牌摘了下来还给了我“你是一名冠军，你赢得了这枚金牌，当有一天我参加奥运会并赢得了属于自己的金牌后，我会告诉你”他这样对我说。
去年夏天，我得知了马修去世的消息，并且还有他前几天写给我的一封信。

亲爱的瑞克：
妈妈嘱咐我说应该谢谢你发给我的图片。医生告诉我我的生命已经到尽头了，但是我仍然尽可能的微笑。
我曾经对你说，我要参加奥运会并赢得一枚金牌，但是现在是不可能了，不过我知道我是一名冠军，上帝也知道。当我去天堂的时候，上帝会给我属于我自己的金牌，等你过去的时候，我会给你看的。
谢谢你对我的爱。

你的朋友
马修