30 Inspirational Jim Valvano Quotes On Cancer & More
“Jim Valvano” by “Do512“, licensed under CC BY-NC-ND 2.0
Popularly nicknamed Jimmy V, Jim Valvano was an American basketball player and coach. He was passionate about basketball from an early age and dreamt of playing it. Following his dream, while in college, his team came out to be victorious at the 1967 National Invitation Tournament. The same year, he got the title of Senior Athlete of the Year.
When he completed his graduation, he took up basketball as his profession. At the young age of 21, he became a coach for his college team. He served there for 19 years as a head coach. Throughout his career, he switched around several universities and schools. He was a head coach for North Carolina State University for some time. At that time, the NC State team won the 1983 national title in a match favouring the opponents.
Apart from being a great basketball player, Jimmy is also remembered for his inspirational & motivational speech at ESPY Awards in 1993. At that time, he was terminally ill with adenocarcinoma, a type of cancer. In his honour, ESPY has included an award named Jimmy V Award. As a tribute to his contribution to the basketball fraternity, a “Jimmy V Classic” college basketball tournament has been introduced.
Here are some Jim Valvano quotes that will surely inspire you to fulfil your dreams.
Jim Valvano Quotes On Dreams
Since his childhood, Jimmy has had a dream of playing basketball. His life is a true example of always following his/her dreams. Let us browse through some Jim Valvano quotes about chasing dreams.
“Be a dreamer. If you don’t know how to dream, you’re dead.”
JIM VALVANO
“Nothing can happen if it’s not first a dream.”
JIM VALVANO
“Never give up! Failure and rejection are only the first steps to succeeding.”
JIM VALVANO
“Keep your dreams alive in spite of problems whatever you have.”
JIM VALVANO
SOURCE: ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS
“The ability to be able to work hard for your dreams to come true, to become a reality.”
JIM VALVANO
SOURCE: ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS
“If you have someone with a dream, if you have a motivated person with a goal and a vision, if you have someone that never gives up, who has great hope, anything can happen.”
JIM VALVANO
“How many people do you know who’ve had their dream come true? You’re looking at one.”
JIM VALVANO
“How do you go from where you are to where you wanna be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life. You have to have a dream, a goal. And you have to be willing to work for it.”
JIM VALVANO
SOURCE: ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS
Jim Valvano Quotes On Cancer
At the ESPY Awards 1993, Jimmy was seriously ill with cancer. Despite that, he gave a powerful speech saying, ‘Don’t give up. ‘Don’t ever give up.’ This depicts how mighty his thoughts were! Let us go through some Jim Valvano quotes on cancer.
“I’ll also tell you that five hundred thousand people will die this year of cancer. And I’ll also tell you that one in every four will be afflicted with this disease, and yet, somehow, we seem to have put it in a little bit of the background.”
JIM VALVANO
SOURCE: ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS
“Cancer can take away all of my physical abilities. It cannot touch my mind, it cannot touch my heart, and it cannot touch my soul.”
JIM VALVANO
SOURCE: ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS
“And I’m going to work as hard as I can for cancer research and hopefully, maybe, we’ll have some cures and some breakthroughs.”
JIM VALVANO
Inspirational Jim Valvano Quotes
Struggling through life difficulties, Jimmy was never short of inspiration for all. Here are some Jim Valvano quotes that will ignite inspiration in you.
“Know where you have been, where you are now and where you want to be.”
JIM VALVANO
“My father gave me the greatest gift anyone could give another person. He believed in me.”
JIM VALVANO
“Don’t give up. Don’t ever give up.”
JIM VALVANO
SOURCE: ARTHUR ASHE COURAGE AWARD ACCEPTANCE ADDRESS
“A person really doesn’t become whole, until he becomes a part of something that’s bigger than himself.”
JIM VALVANO
“No matter what business you’re in, you can’t run in place or someone will pass you by. It doesn’t matter how many games you’ve won.”
JIM VALVANO
“Conceive the inconceivable – then accomplish it.”
JIM VALVANO
“All really successful coaches have a system.”
JIM VALVANO
“In every single day, in every walk of life, ordinary people do extraordinary things. Ordinary People accomplish extraordinary things.”
JIM VALVANO
“Life changes when you least expect it to. The future is uncertain. So, seize this day, seize this moment, and make the most of it.”
JIM VALVANO
Jim Valvano Quotes On Happiness
Jimmy spent a life full of kindness, compassion and love for all. The way he lived his later days is truly inspiring. We have curated some Jim Valvano quotes on happiness.
“If you laugh, you think, and you cry, that’s a full day. That’s a heck of a day. You do that seven days a week, you’re going to have something special.”
JIM VALVANO
“How do you go from where you are to where you want to be? And I think you have to have an enthusiasm for life.”
JIM VALVANO
“And if you see me, smile and maybe give me a hug. That’s important to me too.”
JIM VALVANO
“I will thank God for the day and the moment I have.”
JIM VALVANO
“I urge all of you, all of you, to enjoy your life, the precious moments you have.”
JIM VALVANO
More than the achievements, Jimmy was appreciated for his kind and compassionate nature. He was an inspiration, not only for his family and peers but for everyone who knew him. Although he left the world early, he profoundly impacted the world. He opened the V Foundation in association with ESPN, responsible for cancer research. Currently, this foundation stands tall with millions of dollars of funding.
We hope you enjoyed reading these Jim Valvano quotes. Let us know which one is your favorite.
You can also check out these 45 Gratitude Lao Tzu Quotes On Love, Leadership And Knowing Yourself.
