(Ed.note; This is a post from 2006)
For the past 15 years something pretty special has been happening in Monroe. In fact it has had a huge impact in the whole state. It is all a story about one man. Fr. Campion. It is a story about his dedication to the handicapped. It is about his love and dedication to sport, his philosphy of sport and the character of those who are in sports.
Click on the post for the full story about the recent speech of Fr. Campion to the Monroe cross country team. It was about character. It was also about courage. Something that Fr. Campion knows well about, having to face the past year of difficulty in battling cancer.
In his speech to the cross country team, Fr.Campion mentioned that in his battle with cancer, the Monroe cross country team was in his mind as an inspiration to persist. Fr. Campion went over in his speech that he was proud of the runners that did not do alcohol. Athletes with character abstain.
I only met Fr.Campion once. At the end of a 5K race on a cold and wintry day in January in Monroe. The race was to benefit the handicapped. It finished on a hill near a local bar. It was windy and cold. All the fast runners had been finished for ten minutes and their hot beverages were being consumed as I approached the finish line. I remember his words, "Finish strong, Champions. Finish strong." He was at the finish line until the last runner completed the race.
Fr. Campion's speech on character last week in Monroe is a classic. It seems that without character, all the electronics, fancy uniforms, advertising and hoop alla that goes with sport just rings hollow. Folks are not really fooled by the show. They know deep down what is real, and what is show.
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