There are many heroes in our society today. Each one of us has our own hero that we revere. My hero is Mr. Lidskin. Scott Lidskin was born in the Chicago area in 1974. During the interview, he stated that he had a normal childhood. He grew up and graduated from Butler with a Bachelor’s degree. Currently, he works at Westfield High School as an English and SAT prep teacher. Mr. Lidskin is also the Westfield High School Girls Cross Country coach. I know Mr. Lidskin because I am on the cross country team. Four reasons why Coach Lidskin is my hero is that he is kind, humble, hard working, and wise.
Considerate and kind are two words that I would use to describe him. “Kindness will be returned”, he stated. Coach Lidskin respects all people. Never have I heard him say or do anything rude to anyone. On the cross country team, he does not give special treatment to the best runners and only them. It does not matter who you are if a person goes and tells Mr. Lidskin about an injury he will be concerned and will help that person. On the team, he is like a lion protecting his cubs. He cares and defends each girl on the team. Coach Lidskin is just a downright compassionate man.
Coach Lidskin is also a humble person. When asked how he is a hero he answered, “I do not believe that I am a hero.” To never take anything for granted and to act with class are two philosophies that Mr. Lidskin preaches. Before the cross country season started, he told the team to not assume anything. Just because you won something last year does not guarantee that you are going to obtain that same victory again. Mr. Lidskin could never be called a showoff; consequently, he is the complete opposite.
One of the hardest working people I know is Mr. Lidskin. This man works as hard as a bee that has to make a cup of honey be itself. He ran at the USA Track and Field National Championships three times. People who do not work hard and go the extra mile will most likely not even qualify for this meet. Coach Lidskin strongly believes in working hard. One of the most important lessons he has learned in life is that “eventually hard work will pay off.” You will never get anywhere in life if you do not put effort into it. There is a quote that states, “The only place success comes before work is in the dictionary.” Coach Lidskin knows this and that is why he works with an unimaginable amount of effort.
Wisdom is another quality that Scott Lidskin possesses. He creates strategies and knows how to run courses under certain circumstances. Alexandra Holland, a person on the cross country team, said,” He has a lot of valuable knowledge.” When asked what his biggest obstacle is that he has overcome, he said being doubted by other people that you will not be able to accomplish something. This could have decreased his self esteem, but he was wise enough to not let that happen. Instead he preserved and believed in himself. That is a smart move that some people may have a difficult time making. Another example of Coach Lidskin’s wisdom is his vocabulary. When I am around him, I hear him use intelligent and gigantic words that many people do not know the meaning of. The man certainly has read many books and definitely has a lot of information in his head. He is a living computer!

Odysseus and Mr. Lidskin share two characteristics. They are both hard working and wise. For example Odysseus worked so hard to achieve his goal; to get home. He battled monsters, Poseidon, and beautiful women. Coach Lidskin has worked hard and researched to make sure that our workouts are as beneficial as possible. He has given the cross country team quotes and advice to inspire us. They both also share the quality of wisdom. Odysseus tells the Cyclops his name is Nohbdy which turned out to be an incredibly smart idea that saved his life. Odysseus also never tells anyone who he is right off the bat and can make up realistic stories off the top of his head. Another thing he does is plan. This helps him because he prepares himself for the unexpected. Mr. Lidskin is one of the wisest people I have met. He recognizes that each person on our team has potential and never limits any one of us. “I am very proud of what this team and program has become,” he stated. The way it got to this point is through hard work. Mr. Lidskin has researched and told us what good nutrition is for runners. He also has shown us videos that will hopefully teach us lessons. Odysseus and Mr. Lidskin are similar in many ways.

The person who can relate to Odysseus, is my hero, and has a background is Coach Lidskin. This man had a regular youth, but it is what he has done with his time here on Earth that makes him truly amazing. “A hero is someone who does their best at everything they do”, declared Coach Lidskin. Because Mr. Lidskin works hard to do his best on everything from brushing his teeth to running a race, he is my ultimate hero. Through his work ethic, wisdom, kindness, and humbleness, he has seized success. I do and will look up to him forever; figuratively and literally. Scott Lidskin is my coach, my role model, but most of all, my hero.