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Continuing through learning about Charlie’s story it is about the discipline he had instilled in his life from a young age. Charlie always looked up to his father who had a foundation of a positive attitude no matter what. He faced every circumstance not as barriers but as challenges to overcome. They were always focused on family and sport. Lucy fit right into this foundation and their background supported them and encouraged them to do the same with facing ALS. She became his solid rock to encourage Charlie to keep pushing forward.

They learned how to enjoy the beauty around them and to appreciate the blessings they have. The Wedemeyer’s realized fast they can not stop living or celebrating life. They learned how to keep laughing. With that attitude, they faced ALS and started to try everything no matter what it took. Charlie quickly figured out that life seemed worth living for and continued to teach and coach football. He focused on something other than his illness to keep pushing forward. Perspective matters, the words and thoughts you have create the world around you.

The main challenge Charlie faced as he continued to get worse was not the adjustment but he resented how everything affected the lives of the people around him. It was more of an embarrassment of needing and having to ask for help. This especially was hard because he used to rely on and got reactions from what he physically was able to do through football.

With the regression of his health, Lucy had to step forward. Charlie could no longer teach but continued to coach despite the challenges. The assistant coaches were on board with it and Lucy joined the team as well. She would attend practices, learned the plays, and help Charlie communicate and move around the field. Others saw this as a burden that she had to take on but again her perspective pushed through. She saw this as an opportunity to learn more about his world and share in the passion of football with him in a whole new way, something that would have never of happened if it was not for ALS. The coaching staff and players respected him and showed their affection year after year by keeping him a part of the team. He was their head coach, no questions asked.

Facing the challenges and pushing through led to them eventually going public and being featured on a TV. At first, they were hesitant on moving forward and opening the door to their life to the public but figured it would be worth it. The teacher heart in him saw the opportunity to help at least one person which made it all worth wild. They saw the positive reaction and was overwhelmed but what their story meant to others. This gave them a new purpose of helping others through challenging situations. They had to daily push themselves to get more out of life, to step outside of their comfort zone. They became apart of others lives.

This is an incredible story of the discipline and determination that Charlie faced each day with. The first part of this book explained their life before and during the diagnosis. They were just a normal couple that fell in love at a young age and lived life to the fullest. When Charlie was diagnosed with ALS that foundation of love and pursuing life was put to the full test. It was because this foundation that they were able to overcome the day to day struggles.

Lucy was a steady rock for Charlie. The day when they found out Charlie had ALS and was only given one year to live forced them to have a brand new perspective. Lucy realized, “the whole world doesn’t stop when they tell you your husband is dying.” This came as another challenge where they wanted and needed to be successful in overcoming this diagnosis of ALS.

Reading their story makes you realize the basic things you take for granted day to day. When the ALS progressed so did the challenges for normal activities. Just to get out of the house it would take 2 to 3 hours. That is with the experiences and a great system for doing everything. The little things such as shaving his face now became a long process. Lucy was there with him and caring for him every step of the way.

Through the challenges, they saw the importance of appreciating the things you have rather than on what is lost. It would be easy for them in those daily moments to get angry and bitter but they decided early on that this was not going to let their life stop. For that reason, Charlie continued to coach. Everyone could see the joy that coaching football brought to Charlie’s life and that it gave him purpose. Instead of focusing on what he was unable to do he focused on what brought him joy and celebrated how he could still do what he loved, even if there had to be modifications.

Lucy and Charlie have such a positive perspective that became contagious. Everyone could learn something from their attitude and approach to each daily struggle. Everything around you does not stop when something bad happens. It is at that time you need to figure out how to keep moving forward, hopefully, that answer comes fast. Tackle each day as they come and make life what you want it to be.

Learn more about their story here: https://youtu.be/ZwX2jdMSPD8

The book for the month of June hits close to home for James. Charlie’s Victory is an autobiography of his high school football coach! This book overflows with Charlie slogan, “I live to give others hope.” Charlie Wedemeyer was an incredible football player from Hawaii who ended up playing at Michigan State. After his college career, he became a high school football coach in California. In the 80’s Charlie Wedemeyer was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. Meaning the nerve cells that controlled all his muscles were slowing dying. The life expectancy of ALS patients is around three years, the doctors gave Charlie one year to live, but that never stopped him.

Charlie never let ALS take over his life and he, along with his wife Lucy, decided to make the most of it. Even with the terminal illness slowing taking over he continued to coach and live life to the fullest. At the age of 40, Charlie coached his last football game at Los Gatos High School. At that point, years after the diagnoses, Charlie could no longer walk, so Lucy drove him in a golf cart; he could no longer talk. so Lucy read his lips and shared with the players. When he eventually had to go on life support, his team took the California’s Central Coast Championship. 

“Death is but the conclusion. It doesn’t really matter when or how it comes. What counts is the living we squeeze in until then.”

Charlie lived a full life and traveled the world as a motivational and inspirational speaker, the majority of the time with Lucy reading his lips. There have been movies and documentaries sharing their story. This book continues those stories from their perspective. It redefines marriage and commitment and shows hope. This is a story directly from Charlie and Lucy that shows how committed they were to embrace the challenges that came their way.