I can’t stand people who give up too easily. I never want to be like them.

People who overcome adversity to achieve greatness inspire me. They remind me I don’t need external advantages to succeed. If they could do it, so can I.

So when I hear of someone’s greatness coming despite adversity, I take note of them and when I can I record them here—their names, achievements, and the adversity they overcame. They include some of the greatest achievers you can think of and their adversities far outweigh those of nearly everyone reading this page, meaning anything you might complain about, someone handled something bigger and succeeded beyond what you probably have.

Click the Table of Contents to see the entries, feel inspired, and lose reasons to complain.

• People who succeeded despite adversity
• People who succeeded despite adversity, part 2
• People who succeeded despite adversity, part 3: Superbowl Edition
• People who succeeded despite adversity, part 4