A One-Armed Dunk on Adversity

It had been almost two hours, and the 6-year-old boy was still trapped beneath the wreckage — the indiscriminate victim of a sudden wall collapse.

When he was finally pulled from the rubble by his father, two things were apparent: the boy’s left arm would have to be amputated and neither of their lives would ever be the same.

Fast forward 11 years, and the toddler who couldn’t tie his sneakers or lift a glass of water is setting the internet abuzz with eye-popping athleticism as a one-armed basketball prospect.

Hansel Emmanuel just won the slam dunk championship at the prestigious City of Palms tournament and has earned a scholarship offer from Division I Tennessee State.

He told the Orlando Sentinel that he doesn’t want to be seen “as a special kid who has a disability,” only “as a great player who will go as far as many.”

While Emmanuel’s story is uplifting and certainly odds-defying, it also has some critical reminders for us as leaders.

At one point or another in our careers, we will be the victims of something we didn’t deserve. We will get fired without cause, we will be wronged by a team member or superior, our fate may change by simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

It’s remarkably challenging to step back and maintain perspective in the immediate aftermath of unscripted hardship, but the reality is that we always have two choices:

1. Lament our circumstances, wonder why this had to happen, and ruminate about what could’ve been

2. Use the adversity as incentive to accomplish something meaningful that we never otherwise would have

Emmanuel loved baseball as a young boy in his native Dominican Republic and had early dreams of pursuing a career in the sport. The tragedy all but ended these.

But instead of succumbing to his circumstances or wondering “What if,” he used his perceived handicap as a detour to another worthy destination that he acknowledges he never would’ve otherwise reached.

The difference between overcoming adversity and being broken down by it isn’t some innate skill, a natural prowess or a thick checkbook. It’s about quickly shifting a mentality and setting other ambitious goals.

As 2021 draws to a close and we reflect on achievements, disappointments and unjust hardships we may have endured, let’s make sure we’re not simply dismissing and lamenting what hasn’t gone our way.

Through failure can come wisdom, through difficulty can come resiliency, through adversity can come purpose.

If viewed through the right lens, the anguish of today can be exactly what enables us to soar above the defense tomorrow.

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