What Makes a Hero a Hero?

With the release of my biography of KatrinaSimpkins, Katrina and Winter:  Partners in Courage (Guardian Angel Publishing.)  I  began thinking about just what makes a person heroic. It’s a complicated question-or is it?

We all have notions of what makes a hero.  And there are historic standards by which to measure and answer the question as well.  We see a feature or footnote on the TV news and say, “Now that’s a hero!” But, why?

When I hear the word hero, I immediately think of Katrina.  She is a hero to me.  She was handed a hard lot in life through no fault of her own.  She was born with Proximal Femoral Focal Deficiency, a condition that causes one limb to be shorter than the other.  In Katrina’s case, her right leg is the one affected, so she must wear a prosthetic leg.

 She not only copes.  She flourishes.  She not only never feels sorry for herself. She’s the first to help others.  She not only tries to do well in everything she attempts.  She excels.  Katrina is a hero of the first water.

An excerpt from the book sums it up:

I just want to be a normal somebody, Katrina once said.

She was that and so much more. She was courageous in ways most people

never have to be. Every hour. Every day.

A hero’s courage.

A hero’s heart.

A normal girl called Katrina.

If I may, I might add, A normal hero called Katrina…

Katrina Simpkins--All Grown Up--and Interacting with Hope at Clearwater Marine Aquarium

Katrina Simpkins,  the very real heroine of the biography, Katrina and Winter: Partners in Courage, had quite a busy day yesterday. 

Her first stop was at Hanger Prosthetics in Sarasota, Florida.  She had a new prosthesis fitted and then was interviewed by the fabulous and oh, so kind, Ginger Gadsden of the CBS affiliate, Channel 10, Tampa. 

Katrina and Ginger Gadsden

Katrina then made an appearance at the Clearwater Marine Aquarium.  She, of course, said hello to her friend, Winter, the dolphin.  And then she helped the trainers work with another special dolphin during the demonstration for a large audience.

Hope is an 18 month old bottle nose dolphin (as is Winter) who was rescued near Cape Canaveral, on Florida's east coast, as was Winter.  She took to Katrina immediately, and she followed her hand signals well. 

Katrina and Hope, the dolphin

The feature will be aired from 5 to 7 AM on Friday, June 8. The film will include Katrina speaking on how and why she has emerged from a special needs child to a fully functioning young adult. A young adult who today does gymnastics, models, speaks to groups of people about her life and rides her horse, Jade, on a regular basis. Katrina is truly a young lady for all seasons.

I just want to be a normal somebody,” Katrina once said.  She was that and so much more. She was courageous in ways most people

never have to be. Every hour. Every day.  A hero's courage.  A hero's heart.  A normal girl called Katrina.