<p>Doubt is What Burns His Fire</p><p>Gabriel Ontiveros is the middle child of three. He was a child who seemed to be the odd one of the family and was trying to fit in with his big brother and his friends. He used to be the youngest kid on the block because he would hang out with his older brother and older cousin. His brother’s friends were major influences on him, and he would do whatever he could to impress them. Much of his childhood was filled with gang influence. Gabriel was once told by a friend that he would never make it anywhere if he was not involved with gangs. The first day of high school he had received a call and was told that his very close friend was shot and killed the night before. This crushing blow was all it took for Gabriel to realize that he needed to stay away from gang life.</p><p>Shortly after his friends death his family moved to Indiana and Gabriel found a new love for sports. He was a short, chunky, and non-athletic freshman. He was doubted by his friends and made fun of by his teammates because he struggled with some sports at first. With his determination and will, he was one of two students in his graduating class who played football, basketball and baseball all four years of his high school career. </p><p>Another example of his drive was when one day he and his friends were talking, and someone made the comment that no one could make the run from one town to another. Gabriel said he could make the run, and everyone laughed at his overwhelming confidence. They argued for a while, and finally Gabriel convinced them that he would make the journey. His friends doubted him because he had not trained for this kind of long distance run. Gabriel’s argument was that running is 90% mental and 10% physical. His friends still didn’t believe in him, so Gabriel decided to run the route without knowing the distance. He made the run in an hour and a half. He was obviously exhausted but had accomplished his goal due to his drive and determination. Later that day they figured out the run was about 9.3 miles. Gabriel is a determined individual who has conquered the strong doubters of his 22 year old life. No matter how big or small the challenges are , Gabriel will be determined to defeat every single one.</p><p>Written By: Michael DeMeulenaere</p>