In a room filled with some of the most gifted athletes on the planet, a man who no longer can walk, speak, blink his eyes or breathe on his own was singled out as the most courageous among them all.
Former New Orleans Saints safety Steve Gleason on Thursday night officially received his 2024 Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the ESPYs, the latest on an impressive list of awards that Gleason, who in 2011 was diagnosed with ALS (Lou Gehrig’s disease), has earned.
“This award, the Arthur Ashe Award for courage, is a sublime honor for me,” said Gleason, who was accompanied on stage by his son, Rivers, and former Saints quarterback Drew Brees. Gleason was told he would have three years to live upon his initial diagnosis.
“Arthur Ashe exemplified courage as living with an open heart, of humility, kindness and generosity, which united humanity,” he said. “So to receive this award is amazing.
“When I learned I was receiving this award, I started reflecting on what that word, ‘courage,’ means. To be courageous, we must first experience loneliness, unworthiness, or any of the faces of fear.
“I suppose if you have never experienced fear, isolation or suffering, you can roll your sanctified ass right out of here. The truth is, no human is immune from fear or adversity – not even super athletes, royal princes or the most holy saints.
“Considering this truth of our humanity, it’s vital that we all, individually and collectively, discover ways to be courageous and love the life we have. My view is that the fears and the adversities that we encounter are our opportunity to accept what is and explore what is on the other side of fear, to grow stronger, better and have peace of mind.”