by Gwendolyn Jordan Dungy
Jordan
The last time I was in Chicago in the Willis Tower (previously the Sears Tower), there were murals on the wall of famous people affiliated with Chicago. The information attached to Michael Jordan’s likeness declared that MJ was the greatest basketball player of all time. When Jordan was in his heyday, Magic Johnson was quoted as saying, “There is Michael Jordan and then there’s the rest of us.” Larry Bird of the Boston Celtics said MJ was “God disguised as Michael Jordan.”
Dungy
Coach Tony Dungy is famous for his record as head coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and later of the Indianapolis Colts. He pulled the Buccaneers from a history of defeat to being poised to win the Super Bowl. In 2007, Dungy became the first (of still only two) African American head coach to win the Super Bowl when the Indianapolis Colts beat the Chicago Bears. It is said that Dungy is the winningest coach in franchise history.
These men—Jordan and Dungy—left indelible legacies in the world of sports and beyond. Through their astonishing achievements, they have become role models for countless people all over the world. When we think of them as role models, we may tend to think that they have achieved because of a clarity of purpose that allowed them to sacrifice all else to attain greatness in their respective endeavors.
However, no number of interviews or biographies will reveal the mystery and miracle of their uncommon competitiveness. Perhaps it is as simple and as complex as the actor Charlie Sheen was famous for saying in 2011—“WINNING.”
Gwen Dungy 
And when you add Gwendolyn to the two other names, you have a third stunning legacy as a role model, high achiever, and pathbreaker.
I’m so lucky to have one friend who is always in my corner. Thank you,