Saint Mary’s recently held its middle school oratorical contest.  The winner was Frannie Wilson, an 8th grade student.  This is her second year winning the Saint Mary’s oratorical contest and her third year in the top three.  She also competed in the Archdiocesan level oratorical contest. 

The assigned topic was “Someone Who Has Touched Many Lives.”  The second and third place winners were Jacob Hoyt (8th grade) and Winston McCormick (6th grade), respectively. 

Below is an excerpt from Frannie’s speech about Glenn Cunningham:

“Glenn Cunningham was one of the fastest runners to ever live, but it wasn’t his speed that captivated the world; it was his story. His phenomenal stand of strength inspired so many people to believe in themselves just as he believed in himself.

Throughout Cunningham’s life, he faced tremendous challenges that he overcame and powered through. To most of us these challenges would seem impossible to defeat, but not to him. What makes Glenn Cunningham so special is the fact that he summoned up the bravery and courage to live when everyone expected him to die.

On August 4, 1909, Glenn Cunningham was born in the lazy town of Elkhart, Kansas.

One early February morning when Cunningham was only eight, he was in a terrible explosion. He arrived early at school like he always did so he could light the heater, but it had been mistakenly filled with gasoline instead of oil. When the little boy lit up the heater it exploded and the school house was engulfed in flames. Luckily, Glenn was pulled from the burning building before the fire claimed his life, but he was unconscious and badly burned.

From Glenn’s hospital bed, he faintly heard the doctors informing his mother that he would most likely die. The brave boy did not want to die and made up his mind that he would live. He looked death in the face and was not afraid.

Glenn fought hard for his life and survived. Despite the fact that he cheated death, his legs were still burned badly. The doctors suggested that amputation would be the best for him since he was doomed to be a life time cripple.

This devastating news only strengthened Cunningham’s will to walk. Glenn did not allow the doctors to amputate his legs because he had tremendous faith in God and knew that the Lord would repair and renew him better than he was before.

In fact, Glenn’s favorite Bible verse was Isaiah 40:31, “But those who wait on the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles, they shall run and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.”