Mental attitude is a key component in the sports world.  For the talented athlete it makes the difference between those athletes at the top and the ones who are equally talented but don't quite make it to the pinnacle:  Here are just a few examples of star athletes who have overcome great odds:

Scott Hamilton, 1984 gold medal Olympics winner in men's figure skating who suffered from a childhood disease that stunted his growth.

Elaine Zayk who cut off several toes in a lawn mowing accident and had to wear specially fitted skates.

Kristi Yamaguchi, Olympic gold medalist and "Dancing With the Stars" contestant, born with club feet.

Amy Van Dyken, the only American woman to win four gold medals in a single Olympics, who suffers from asthma and couldn't swim the length of a pool until she was twelve.

Simon Keith, played professionally with the Cleveland Crunch, a Major Indoor Soccer League team, who had a heart transplant  He had been an outstanding teenage athlete, but was left with virtually no strength by the age of 21 because of heart disease. Three years later he was playing pro ball.

Jeff Blatnick, 1984 winner of a gold medal in Greco Roman wrestling, who had Hodgkin's disease at 25, went through radiation and chemo and had his spleen removed.