Homeless Woodstock North Student Walked Five and Half Miles to Practice

Talk about not letting your circumstances get the best of you. A homeless Woodstock North student walked five and half miles to make his football practice. If you're needing a little inspiration today, then I think this story may just do the trick.

Wolfgang Kemp, according to the Northwest Herald, woke up early and left the PADS shelter at 6:30am to make the 9am football practice at his school which was five and 1/2 miles away. He did this everyday last summer without complaining.

He said, "Some days it would be hot, mentally challenging. It was a struggle. Some days you felt like you’d want a break, but you have to keep on moving, keep pushing, move on to the next day and next practice.”

Right there is a prime example of never letting the circumstance get you down, you just keep pushing through.

How did he wind up homeless you might ask. Wolfgang's father, Wilbur, "used to work as a mechanic and drive forklifts, and his family was hardly needy. Then the struggles began, ending with a divorce, losing their house and Wilbur battling mental health issues."

"For a while, Wilbur and Wolfgang stayed with friends – “couch-surfing,” sleeping wherever they could. Later, they found PADS, which has helped with shelter and with Wilbur receiving necessary assistance. He recently started a job as a department manager at Walmart in Woodstock."

"Administrators, teachers, coaches and students at North like and admire Wolfgang. Principal Brian McAdow says Wolfgang’s lunch card never runs out of funds because someone always checks on him and puts more down on his account. Others chip in with monetary or clothing donations." One coach even bought Wolfgang a bike to use to get himself to practice.

In all honesty, I think we can all learn a lesson here from Wolfgang. He really is the living out the old adage of "making lemonade when life hands you lemon."

I agree with his coach Schroeder in that he wishes that when "you have something challenging, look at this kid." He is an overcomer.

Wow! I don't know about you, but that hits home. When things don't go out way it's so easy to complain and stay down, but we should just push through it like Wolfgang has.

To read the entire story, click here.