Don’t Give Up by Jim Valvano

You’ve pondered over life’s challenges, you’ve wrestled with despair, and perhaps, you’ve even confronted the fear of failure. Now, you find yourself at the doorstep of ‘Don’t Give Up’ by Jim Valvanor, a book that promises not just to inspire, but also to guide.

Valvanor’s message, derived from his own experiences as a successful basketball coach and his battle with cancer, serves as a beacon in times of adversity. His philosophy, built on laughter, thought, and emotional depth, propels you towards resilience and determination.

So, why not discover more about this uplifting mantra and its profound impact on countless lives?

But before you do, remember: the essence of this book is not just about understanding Valvanor’s insights; it’s about applying them to your own life and seeing the transformation unfold.

Background

Jim Valvano, affectionately known as Jimmy V, delivered his famous ESPY speech in 1993 at the ESPN Awards show.

This speech was a poignant and inspiring moment that touched the hearts of many as he shared his courageous battle against cancer. Despite facing a terminal illness, Jim Valvano’s speech was filled with hope, resilience, and a call to action for cancer research.

His words resonated deeply with the audience and left a lasting impact, reminding everyone to cherish every moment and never give up in the face of adversity.

The speech captured the essence of his indomitable spirit and unwavering positivity, cementing his legacy as a beacon of strength and inspiration for millions around the world.

Key Takeaways

Here are 4 key takeaways from ‘Don’t Give Up’ by Jim Valvano that encapsulate the essence of perseverance, hope, and the power of dreams:

• Jim Valvano’s inspiring ESPYs speech emphasized the importance of laughter, dreams, and relentless work ethic.
• Valvano established the Jimmy V Foundation promoting the motto ‘Don’t give up, don’t ever give up‘ to fund cancer research.
• Valvano’s legacy serves as a powerful reminder to cherish life, pursue dreams, and support significant causes like cancer research.
• His determination and hope continue to inspire and motivate others, underlining the importance of not giving up in the face of adversity.

Story

In the narrative of Jim Valvano’s life, his poignant speech at the ESPYs forms a cornerstone of his legacy. His inspiring words continue to resonate, emphasizing a philosophy of laughter, dreams, and tenacity.

The transformative impact of his life and legacy, particularly in the realm of cancer research, cannot be overstated.

Valvano’s Life Journey

The journey of Valvano’s life, characterized by resilience and determination, began modestly yet led to significant impact and inspiration.

Born in New York City in 1946, he was instilled with a love for basketball from a young age. His coaching career, starting at Rutgers University and culminating at North Carolina State University, was marked by notable successes, including an NCAA Championship win in 1983.

However, his unwavering spirit was most evident in his battle with cancer. Diagnosed in 1992, he used his fight as a platform to raise awareness, leading to the establishment of the Jimmy V Foundation. Through this foundation, Valvano’s legacy continues to inspire, contribute to cancer research, and embody his motto: ‘Don’t give up, don’t ever give up.’

ESPYs Inspirational Speech

Undoubtedly one of the most poignant moments in sports history, Valvano’s speech at the ESPYs in 1993 resonated with a worldwide audience, inspiring millions with its core message of hope, perseverance, and the importance of never giving up. This speech, delivered just two months before his death from cancer, was a defining moment of authenticity, displaying his unwavering courage amid adversity.

He emphasized the significance of laughter, thought, and tears in experiencing a full day. Furthermore, Valvano challenged the audience to maintain dreams and work diligently towards them. His call to action, advocating for increased cancer research funding, underscored his commitment to combat the disease, even in his final days. Valvano’s ESPYs speech remains a testament to his indomitable spirit.

Legacy and Impact

Beyond his memorable ESPYs speech, Valvano’s enduring legacy continues to inspire, particularly through the establishment of the Jimmy V Foundation for cancer research. This foundation, driven by Valvano’s indomitable spirit, has raised over $200 million for cancer research since its inception.

Not only has it funded groundbreaking studies, but it also strives to provide hope, a principle Valvano deeply believed in. His mantra, ‘Don’t give up, don’t ever give up‘, resonates profoundly, inspiring countless individuals facing adversity.

Furthermore, Valvano’s coaching philosophy, emphasizing dreams and hard work, continues to influence sports and beyond. His legacy, thus, extends beyond basketball or cancer research, serving as a testament to the power of resilience and optimism in the face of adversity.

Learnings

Jim Valvano’s ‘Don’t Give Up’ imparts 3 key learnings. Let’s explore these:

Valvano’s Legacy Insight

Reflecting on Valvano’s legacy reveals profound insights into overcoming adversity with determination and grace:

• Persistence in the face of obstacles: Valvano’s life exemplifies the belief that challenges are meant to be overcome, not to deter us.
• Living fully: He advocated for seizing each day, promoting a life lived with purpose and joy despite the circumstances.
• Courage and hope: Valvano showed that courage lies in prioritizing what truly matters, inspiring us to find hope and strength even in the darkest times.

His teachings serve as a blueprint for resilience, encouraging us to face life’s adversities with unwavering determination and optimism.

Motivational Speech Impact

Valvano’s memorable ESPYs speech transcends the boundaries of sports, imparting lessons on courage, hope, and the importance of never giving up:

• Universal message: His words inspire a broad audience to maintain hope and perseverance, regardless of the challenge at hand.
• Call to action: Through personal anecdotes and powerful insights, Valvano encourages us to dream, laugh, and persist against all odds.
• Lasting influence: His speech continues to motivate and spark introspection, highlighting the enduring power of a positive outlook and steadfast resolve.

Valvano’s message remains a potent source of inspiration, reminding us of the strength found in hope and the significance of living each moment to its fullest.

Cancer Research Advocacy

Valvano’s advocacy for cancer research underscores the urgent need for collective action and support in the fight against cancer:

• Urgent appeal: He emphasized the critical role of funding in advancing cancer research, driven by the alarming impact of the disease.
• Legacy of commitment: Through the establishment of the Jimmy V Foundation, Valvano dedicated himself to catalyzing progress in cancer treatment and awareness.
• Resilience and research: His foundation’s motto, ‘Don’t give up, don’t ever give up‘, not only reflects his personal mantra but also serves as a rallying cry for continued effort and dedication in cancer research.

Valvano’s unwavering commitment to cancer research advocacy reminds us of the profound impact that collective dedication and support can have on the quest for a cure.

‘Don’t Give Up’ Speech

I can’t tell you what an honor it is to even be mentioned the same breath with Arthur Ashe. This is something I certainly will treasure forever. But as was said on the tape, and also, I don’t have one of those things going with the cue cards, so I’m going to speak longer than anybody else who’s spoken tonight. That’s the way it goes. Time is very precious to me. I don’t know how much I have left and I have some things that I would like to say. Hopefully at the end, I’ll have something that will be important to other people, too, but I can’t help it. Now when I’m fighting cancer, everybody knows that, and people ask me all the time about how you go through your life and, “How’s your day?”

And nothing has changed for me, as Dick said. I’m a very emotional, passionate man. I can’t help it, that’s being the son of Rocco and Angelina Valvano. It comes with the territory, right? We hug, we kiss, we love.

And when people say to me, “How do you get through life?” Each day’s the same thing. To me, there are three things we all should do every day. If we do this every day of our life, you’re going to … What a wonderful … Number one is laugh. You should laugh every day. Number two is think, you should spend some time in thought. And number three is you should have your emotions moved to tears. Could be happiness or joy, but think about it. If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.

And so, I can’t help … I rode on the plane up today with Mike Krzyzewski, my good friend, and a wonderful coach. What people don’t realize, he’s a 10 times better person than he is a coach and we know he’s a great coach. He’s meant a lot to me in these last five or six months with my battle. But when I look at Mike, I think we competed against each others as players. I coached against him 15 years, and I always have to think about what’s important in life. To me, it’s three things: where you started, where you are, and where you’re going to be. Those are the three things that I try and do every day. And when I think about getting up and giving a speech, I can’t help it. I have to remember the first speech I ever gave. I was coaching at Rutgers University. That was my first job.

And I was the freshman coach. That’s when freshmen played on freshmen teams. And I was so fired up about my first job. I see Lou Holtz, Coach Holtz here. What was it like the first job you had, right? The very first time you stood in the locker room to give a pep talk. That’s a special place, the locker room, for a coach to give a talk. So my idol as a coach was Vince Lombardi. And I read this book called Commitment to Excellence by Vince Lombardi. And in the book, Lombardi talked about the first time he spoke before his Green Bay Packer team in a locker room, they were perennial losers. And I’m reading this, and Lombardi said, he was thinking, “Should it be a long talk? A short talk?” But he wanted to be emotionally, so he said, Be brief.”

And this is what he did. Normally, you get in a locker room, I don’t know, 25 minutes, a half hour before the team takes the field. You do your little X and O’s, and then you give the great Knute Rockne talk, we all do. Speech number 84, you pull them right out, you get ready, get your squad ready. Was the first one I ever gave. And I read this thing, Lombardi, what he said was, he didn’t go in, he waited. His team was wondering, “Where is he? Where’s this great coach?” He’s not there. 10 minutes, he’s still not there. Three minutes before they have to take the field, Lombardi comes in, bangs the door open, and I think you all remember what great presence he had, right? Great presence. And he walked in and he just walked back and forth like this, just staring at the players. And he said, “All eyes on me.”

And I’m reading this in his book, I’m getting a picture of Vince Lombardi before his first game. And he said, “Gentlemen, we will be successful this year. You can focus on three things and three things only. Your family, your religion, and the Green Bay Packers.” And the rest of them, they knocked the walls down, the rest was history. I said, “That’s beautiful! I’m going to do that.” Your family, your religion and Rutgers basketball. That’s it. I had it. Listen, I’m 21 years old. The kids I’m coaching are 19, all right? And I’m going to be the greatest coach in the world, the next Lombardi. And I’m practicing right beside the locker room, the manager’s telling me, “You gotta go in.” Not yet, not yet. Family, religion, Rutgers basketball. All eyes on me. I got it, I got it.

And now finally he said, “Three minutes!” I said, “Fine.” True story, I go to knock the doors open just like Lombardi. Boom. It didn’t open. I almost broke my arm. It didn’t open, now I’m down, the players are looking. “Yo, coach. Help the coach up, help him up.” And now I did like Lombardi, I walked back and forth, and I was going like that with my arm, get the feeling back in it. And finally I said, “Gentlemen, all eyes on me.” and these kids wanted to play, they’re 19, “Let’s go.” I said, “Gentlemen, we’ll be successful this year. If you could focus on three things and three things only.” I said, “Your family, your religion, and the Green Bay Packers.” I did that. I remember that.

I remember where I came from. It’s so important to know where you are. I know where I am right now. How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal you have to be willing to work for.

I talked about my family. My family is so important. People think I have courage. The courage in my family is my wife Pam, my three daughters here, Nicole, Jamie, Leanne, my mom who is right here, too.

I just got one last thing. I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have to spend each day with some laughter and some thought, to get your emotions going, to be enthusiastic every day. Ralph Waldo Emerson said, “Nothing great can be accomplished without enthusiasm to keep your dreams alive in spite of problems.” Whatever you have, the ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality. Now I look at where I am now and I know what I want to do. What I would like to be able to do is to spend whatever time I have left and to give maybe some hope to others. The Arthur Ashe foundation is a wonderful thing. And AIDS, the amount of money pouring in for AIDS is not enough, but it is significant.

But if I told you it’s 10 times the amount that goes in for cancer research, I also tell you that 500,000 people will die this year of cancer. And I’ll also tell you that one in every four will be afflicted with this disease. And yet somehow we seem to have put it in a little bit of the back burner. I want to bring it back on the front table. We need your help. I need your help. We need money for research. It may not save my life, it may save my children’s lives. It may save someone you love. And it’s important. And ESPN has been so kind to support me in this endeavor and allow me to announce tonight that with ESPN’s support, which means what? Their money, and their dollars, and they’re helping me. We are starting the Jimmy V Foundation for cancer research.

And its motto is, “Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.” And that’s what I’m going to try to do every minute that I have left. I will thank God for the day and the moment I have. And if you see me smile and maybe give me a hug cause that’s important to me, too. But try if you can, to support, whether it’s AIDS or the cancer foundation, so that someone else might survive, might prosper, and might actually be cured of this dreaded disease.

I can’t thank ESPN enough for allowing this to happen and I’m going to work as hard as I can for cancer research. And hopefully we’ll be … maybe we’ll have some cures and some breakthroughs, and I’d like to think I’m gonna fight my brains out to be back here again next year for the Arthur Ashe recipient. I want to give it next year.

I know I’ve got to go. I’ve got to go, and I got one last thing. I’ve said it before and I’m gonna say it again.

Cancer can take away all my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind. It cannot touch my heart. And it cannot touch my soul.

And those three things are going to carry on forever. I thank you and God bless y’all.

Conclusion

In conclusion, Jim Valvano’s memorable ESPYs speech resonates strongly, demonstrating his unwavering commitment to cancer research and the importance of maintaining hope.

His establishment of the Jimmy V Foundation further reflects his enduring influence.

His emphasis on enthusiasm, dreams, and hard work as motivating forces offers valuable life lessons.

Valvano’s life and work, and the broader context of cancer research, provide abundant resources for ongoing learning and discussion.

 

You can read the rest of the speech collection here:

Speech collection