Always being told you were not good enough for the NFL or the Canadian Football League never stopped Johnny Quinn. Quinn pushed through the barriers of being told no and soon changed directions to become an Olympic bobsledder.

On Thursday, Feb. 7, Quinn inspired ULM students and faculty to never give up and to continue to push through boundaries.

Even President Nick Bruno and Camille Currier, vice president of Student Affairs, listened to Quinn’s presentation. Campus Activities Board hosted Johnny Quinn in the SUB ballroom to motivate students during the spring semester.

Not only did this event have Quinn speak, but free catfish, hush puppies, coleslaw, fries and drinks from Catfish Charlie’s was provided.

Erick Burton, the Leadership Workshop committee head for CAB, was very impressed with the turnout for the Johnny Quinn event; it exceeded his expectations.

Burton said that Quinn did so many different jobs that he was the perfect motivational speaker for students who want to do something big feel like they can’t.

Destinee Woods, a sophomore pre-pharmacy major, was inspired by Quinn’s presentation.

“The man had three injuries in the NFL, and he didn’t stop. Now, he did something big- he went to the Olympics. That’s bigger than the NFL. He reminded me to never give up and to keep pushing for my dreams even if it gets a little discouraging,” Woods said.

Quinn said that what motivates him to continue to push through barriers is his faith, family and friends.

“The people I let speak into my life kept me encouraged during those tough times. I think it is so important who you let speak into your life. It really matters,” Quinn said.

During Quinn’s presentation, he talked about how people compare themselves with others.

Quinn said it is important to not compare yourself to others, but instead, be content with who you are.

Joei Bailey, a freshman biology major, said that one of the big takeaways she got from Quinn’s motivational speech was to not compare herself to others and to be content with who she was and what she wanted to become.

Quinn also said that everyone needs a mentor in their life; it doesn’t matter how a person receives mentorship whether it be face-to-face, through podcasts, books, social media or any other outlets as long as you are learning some kind of wisdom from that person.

One aspect of mentorship Quinn turned to was reading books.

“One thing that really transformed me is reading. I started reading after the first time I got cut, because I needed to find out if other people had failures, and if so, how did they bounce back. I found this through reading,” Quinn said.

Quinn is able to offer mentorship through his book, “Push: Breaking through the Barriers.”

If you feel like you missed out on this inspirational event, don’t worry. You can find his book, “Push: Breaking through the Barriers,” at Barnes & Noble, Target and Amazon.