Farewell Speech

Public speaking is feared by most, but those who master it can use it to spread an idea that is difficult to explain in any other way. On July 4th, 1939, Lou Gehrig, one of baseballs legends and most respected players, had to reveal to his fans and country that he could no longer continue to play baseball because he had been stricken with a disease called ALS that would soon lead to his certain demise. Although it was a brief speech, Gehrig was able to capture the attention and hearts of every fan in attendance, and humbly honored those who had impacted him over the years. The emotion and sincerity of his farewell rendered him speechless at times, and he proceeds to tear up during the speech. I could not think of a better example of summarizing a lifetime of achievement in such a dignified and humble manner. Largely because of this speech, Lou Gehrig is one of a few people I would love to have known personally in my lifetime. Many can learn from his bravery, and use his farewell as a way to prove that public speaking is not the worst thing ever and that you could be forced to address a crowd for a much worse situation than they find themselves having to speak about.

http://multimedia.foxsports.com/m/video/24272368/gehrig-s-farewell.htm

A link to the video of his speech.