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Who is Steve Gleason and Why Did He Win Arthur Ashe Courage Award at 2024 ESPYs?
Steve Gleason won the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2024 ESPYs. Find out all about the Spokane native who was honored on Thursday, July 11.
Steve Gleason is a former American football defensive back. He represented the New Orleans Saints for seven years, from 2000 to 2006. Gleason was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at ESPYs on Thursday, July 11.
Steve was born on March 19, 1977, in Spokane, Washington. In college, he donned the Washington State Cougars’ colors. In 2000, the Indianapolis Colts picked Gleason as an undrafted free agent. The Saints acquired him from the Colts. He played there before retiring as a free agent in 2008.
Why did Steve Gleason win the Arthur Ashe Courage Award?
Steve Gleason was awarded the Arthur Ashe Courage Award in Los Angeles at the 2024 ESPYs. The award has been given every year since 1993 to people whose contributions transcend the sport. Gleason’s son Rivers accompanied him to the stage. The former athlete called it a sublime honor.
Drew Brees presented the award to the 47-year-old. He believes that nobody deserves the award more than Steve Gleason. After receiving the honor, the awardee gave an inspirational speech. Gleason believes that to be courageous, we must experience loneliness, unworthiness, or any of the faces of fear.
Steve added that he has a wilderness of fear tattooed all over him. “Our human potential is boundless,” he said. He thinks everything is possible if we listen, understand, and help each other.
What happened to Steve Gleason?
Gleason was diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS) in 2011. Some reports said he had only three years to live. However, the NFL safety has survived for 13 years against all the odds. Gleason’s documentary consisted of his recorded experiences during the battle with the disease for over five years.
Steve Gleason Kids
Steve has two kids with his wife, Michael Rae Varisco. His wife was pregnant with Son Rivers a few weeks after he was diagnosed with ALS. Varisco gave birth to daughter Gray a few years later. He has never been able to hug his kids.
How does Steve Gleason talk?
Gleason uses Augmentative and Alternative Communication. It is used when a person is not able to speak or write. Multiple speech-generating devices(SGD) assist Gleason in speaking. It produces Steve’s synthetic voice based on different gestures.
Steve Gleason worked with a company to create a database of words and sounds. It helps him communicate in a voice that sounds like him even after ALS. “I hope you like it, because you will be hearing from me for decades to come,” Gleason said. He used the same technology to deliver the inspirational speech after receiving the Arthur Ashe Courage Award.
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