Despite being born without a right hand, Abbott was able to accomplish the unthinkable.
Abbott’s right arm ends about where his wrist should be. He doesn’t have a right hand, just a loose flap of skin at the end of his underdeveloped arm but it was not something that could stop him from becoming the world-know successful athlete in the history of the sport. Jim practiced for hours throwing a rubber ball against a brick wall, then moving fast to get his glove on his hand to catch the rebound. He challenged himself by moving closer and closer to the wall making the hand-to-glove transition faster.
Jim Abbott dreamed of someday being a great athlete. Raised in Flint, Michigan, by parents who encouraged him to compete, Jim would become an ace pitcher for the University of Michigan and through his passion for the game of baseball, Abbott won the James E. Sullivan.
But his journey was only beginning: By twenty-one, he’d won the gold medal game at the 1988 Olympics and—without spending a day in the minor leagues—cracked the starting rotation of the California Angels. In 1991, he would finish third in the voting for the Cy Young Award. On September 4, 1993, he joined baseball royalty when he hurled a no-hitter against the Cleveland Indians.
He now works as a motivational speaker, preaching the importance of fortitude and perseverance to people all over the world. He is an inspiration to many people with various interests, on various levels.