• Home
• News
• Obituaries
• Sports
• AP
• Services
• Citizen News
• Events
• FindKYJobs
• Classifieds
• Buy Photos
• E-Edition
• Subscribe
• Homes
• Marketplace
• Feedback

How to be a winner in life

Print Story    |    Comments    |   

Do you want peak personal growth and life success? Yes. Well, know your values. Create vision and dare to dream. Add versatility and be transformed. As we celebrate the opening of the 2010 Olympic Games on Friday, one award-winning athlete and KSU graduate will share his success about how we can all be winners in life.

Author, motivational speaker, and Decathlon champion Corey Hicks will present a talk about achieving one’s personal best at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Kentucky State University’s Bradford Hall. He will speak from his book Values Vision & Versatility. 

Hicks is a young man who has lived it all. He was brought up from humble beginnings in the inner city of Chattanooga where he encountered many obstacles and temptations.

Through hard work and determination he graduated from Kentucky State University with a B.A. in Early Childhood Education. He also excelled in the Decathlon as a two-time NCAA All-American. 

After graduation he placed his career on hold and he trained with Coach Brooks Johnson, one of the nation’s premier track and field coaches, in San Louis Obispo, Calif. Hicks was a part of the 1996 Olympic Hopeful Team, and, as such, he trained with many of the great young athletes across America. 

He was destined for stardom until an untimely injury just before the Olympics temporarily derailed his dream to compete. After being given the news that his injury would be a major setback and that he would have to wait another four years to compete, he begin to utilize his experiences as a teaching tool to encourage, motivate and inspire, as “life lessons to persevere.”

 “I am a living example of ‘all things are possible,’” said Hicks.

Today he is a successful Regional Senior Marketing Manager for Biogen Idec in Ft. Lauderdale. As his company manufactures pharmaceuticals for multiple sclerosis, he has worked with television celebrities Montel Williams and Clay Walker.

Hicks has been a successful motivational speaker for 10 years.

“My father worked in a foundry for 45 years, and I took the values I received from him which I have honored all my life, and I learned from my own challenges and setbacks. I  became persistent, and I have never given up,” said Hicks.

Hicks’ book is an inspirational one that uncovers the power of “The Trio” – Values, Vision and Versatility. Through his book and his talks, he challenges each person to understand the significance of “The Trio” and the importance of working within one’s true passion or purpose.

 “It is all about building character and capturing the essential elements that are needed to be successful and spiritually fulfilled. I have come to the conclusion that life becomes truly a journey of purposeful meaning when one begins to understand the power of ‘element.’ This spiritual ‘element’ is built on love, and if implemented, serves as a blueprint to happiness,” said Hicks.

Hicks’ talk is presented in community partnership with the Kentucky State University K-Club. This is the first of what is hoped will become an annual event honoring distinguished KSU alumni who excelled at KSU in athletics and have, consequently, excelled in life.

The purpose of this community partnership is to honor eminent KSU alumni who are successful in their lives and are contributing to society, to provide a memorable round-table for these individuals to speak in the community, to encourage young people to be victorious in life, to bring inspiring and encouraging programs to the community’s citizens, and to work together creatively for the community’s best interests, This partnership actively seeks to promote excellence, high personal attainment in lives, and community goodwill.

 “We are so excited about this new partnership that provides programs which, we feel, will inspire our young people and the community in many positive ways. We know that these programs will encourage and motivate our young people to attend college and to achieve their best in life. We also believe that these events will be a success for everyone in the community,” said Wendell Thomas, president of the KSU K-Club.

 “The K-Club is an alumni organization – a nonprofit organization – whose purpose is the administration of all athletic activities that support alumni activities related to the Kentucky State University athletic programs,” said Thomas.

“Our membership includes any person who participated in collegiate activities while in attendance at KSU. This includes students, coaches, and anyone who made substantial contributions to the athletic achievements of KSU.”

Interested persons can obtain information online about Corey Hicks through his Web site: www.valuesvisionversatility.com. 

About tickets and dinner

The corporate sponsor for Corey Hicks is the Kentucky State University K-Club. Event tickets cost $15/adult and $5/full-time student or child. Frankfort Arts Foundation season tickets and event tickets are being sold in Frankfort at Farmers Bank (downtown location only); Nature’s Way Health Foods, 1100 U. S. Highway 127 South; and M. Simon Furniture, 200 Limestone St. (next to Elder Beerman). Tickets may be purchased with Visa and MasterCard by calling 330-2773. Tickets will be sold in the Bradford Hall lobby at 6:30 p.m. on Friday.

For information about this event or tickets, call the foundation at 502-330-2773, 502-875-4ART, or email faf@dcr.net. 

Frankfort Arts Foundation season ticket holders participate in Dinner & The Arts. They receive 20 percent off dinners on event nights at the following restaurants: Adelia’s Bakery & Café, Capital Cellars, Cattleman’s Roadhouse, Graviss McDonald’s of Frankfort and Versailles, Jim’s Seafood on the River, KSU Dining at Kentucky State University, Miguel’s, O’ Charley’s, Pizza Inn, Shoney’s, The HoneyBaked Ham Company & Café, The Office Pub & Deli, and The Terrace at the Capital Plaza Hotel.