Arnold Schwarzenegger

I just heard the news that my friend Ephraim passed away. My thoughts are with his family, and I hope his wife and children can take comfort in knowing that Ephraim isn’t gone- his inspiration and energy lives on with all of us who knew him. When we met for the first time at the Special Olympics in South Africa 19 years ago, and when we met again last year to catch up, Ephraim talked about how much I inspired him. But if I had to say who left each meeting more inspired, it was definitely me.

He had such a big heart, he loved his family more than anything, and he was constantly giving back through Special Olympics South Africa and by coaching kids. He had the best attitude, choosing to focus on what he could do rather than complaining about what he couldn’t. And he did so much.

I have been lucky enough to meet a lot of my heroes, and I was so lucky to add Ephraim to that list, not once, but twice. I hope that his children grow up knowing what a great man their dad was. All of us can learn from his example.